ECHS Dharamsala Medical Officer, Lab Assistant 2026

ECHS Dharamsala Medical Officer and Lab Assistant Recruitment 2026: Overview

The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), run by the Ministry of Defence, is hiring a Medical Officer and Lab Assistant team for the ECHS Polyclinic at Shahpur in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The ECHS Cell at Station Headquarters Dharamsala is running this drive itself. Your patients at the polyclinic will mostly be retired soldiers, their spouses and dependants who come in for check-ups, lab tests and ongoing treatment.

These are contractual posts, not regular government jobs. Selection is through a personal interview at Station HQ Dharamsala, and the notice gives clear priority to ex-servicemen. If you are a retired Army Medical Corps doctor or lab technician living in the Kangra valley, this opening fits you well. Civilian doctors and lab staff with solid experience can apply too.

Posts and Disciplines

• Medical Officer: the general-duty doctor at the Shahpur polyclinic. You need an MBBS degree with post-internship experience, and extra qualifications in Medicine or Surgery are preferred. Most of the seats are kept aside for ex-servicemen doctors.
• Lab Assistant: runs the polyclinic laboratory. A DMLT or the Class I Laboratory Technician course of the Armed Forces qualifies you, along with several years of lab work. An even larger share of this post is reserved for ex-servicemen.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Contract length: Ex-servicemen are engaged for one year and civilians for 11 months. The contract can be renewed for another year at a time until you reach the post's maximum age, subject to your performance.
• Ex-servicemen reservation: Both posts carry a large ex-servicemen quota, and the notice also gives preference to widows of service personnel and Veer Naris.
• Different age caps: The upper age limit is much higher for the Medical Officer post than for the Lab Assistant post. Check the limit for your post before applying.
• Fixed pay: The pay is a fixed monthly amount set by ECHS, not a pay-matrix scale with increments.
• Medical fitness: You must bring a medical fitness certificate signed by a CMO or SEMO to the interview.
• Travel cost: No TA or DA is paid for attending the interview.
• Eligibility check: Only candidates who fully meet the qualification and experience requirement should apply; only they are called for interview.

Application Submission Notes

Download the ECHS application form and terms and conditions from the Employment Opportunities section of www.echs.gov.in. Fill it in, make two copies, attach self-attested photocopies of your education and work-experience certificates, and deliver them to the OIC, Station HQs (ECHS Cell), Dharamsala. Applications that arrive after 12 noon on the closing day are not accepted.

On interview day, report at Station HQ Dharamsala by 0900 hrs with all your original documents. For any doubt, the cell can be reached at 01892-220217, 78340-23404 or echscelldharamsala@gmail.com.