It seems like you want to ensure that patients can still see a doctor from a list of 10 doctors, even if one of the doctors is on leave, without causing confusion. You're concerned that if you don't show the doctor as an option, patients might assume that the doctor is no longer available or has left the hospital.
To address this concern, you can implement a system that temporarily marks a doctor as "on leave" without removing them from the list. This way, the doctor's availability is still visible to the patients, but it's clear that they are currently not available for appointments. This can be done through the following steps:
Display the List of Doctors: Always show the full list of 10 doctors to the patients, including the doctor who is currently on leave.
Indicate Leave Status: Next to each doctor's name, display their current status. For the doctor on leave, display a message like "On Leave" or "Not Available," along with the expected return date if known.
Disable Appointment Booking: Ensure that patients cannot book appointments with doctors who are marked as "On Leave." You can gray out or disable the appointment booking option for those doctors during their leave period.
Provide Information: If the reason for the doctor's leave is known, you can provide a brief explanation to avoid any patient confusion. For example, you can mention if the doctor is on vacation, attending a conference, or on medical leave.