Taking a serious note of the prolonged absence of 160 doctors from duty without permission, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday directed to initiate the procedure for their dismissal.

The erring doctors had been repeatedly warned to either join duty or resign from their posts but they have not responded, he said."Now, a written communication had been sent to the Principal Secretary of the department to initiate action for their dismissal. Legal opinion is also being sought in this matter," the minister said."This decision has been taken in view of shortage of doctors in the state so that fresh recruitment of doctors can be done. The Haryana government had earlier also re-employed 81 retired doctors to ensure that healthcare services are not affected," Vij added.

The erring absentee doctors include 15 from Kaithal district, 13 from Narnaul, 11 from Sirsa, 10 each from Hisar, Palwal, Rohtak and Sonepat, nine from Bhiwani, eight each from Fatehabad, Gurugram and Kurukshetra, seven from Panipat and Jind, six each from Jhajjar, Panchkula and Nuh, four from Ambala, Rewari and Faridabad, and two each from Yamunanagar and Karnal districts.