Tamil Nadu doctors to move High Court against recruitment for 2553 posts of Assistant Surgeons

Chennai: The aspirants preparing for the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) examination in Tamil Nadu are expressing dissatisfaction with the Health Department's handling of vacant positions and the allocation of merit marks.

They are particularly concerned about the department's decision to issue a fresh notification for 2,553 assistant surgeon posts, despite 1,251 vacancies remaining unfilled from the April 2023 MRB exam. 

Dr Parthiban Shivan, representing the aspirants, plans to challenge this move in the Madras High Court, arguing that according to regulations, new notifications cannot be issued until all previously announced posts are filled.

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Speaking to EdexLive, Dr Parthiban said, “As per the rules, they cannot issue new notifications until all the previously notified posts have been filled. I will move the court against the new notification.”

The Medical Services Recruitment Board on Friday, March 15 issued a job notice inviting candidates through online mode for Direct Recruitment to the post of 2,553 Assistant Surgeon (General) temporarily in Tamil Nadu Medical Service.

Following this, Dr Shivan filed a writ petition in February 2024, addressing this issue, and although the Madras High Court had directed the Health Department to review the matter and take necessary action within four weeks, no action has yet been taken, said the aspirants. 

Furthermore, a dispute exists regarding the distribution of merit points, particularly the five additional marks granted to doctors who rendered their services during the COVID-19 outbreak in the MRB 2023 examinations.

Medical Dialogues team last year reported that house surgeons serving in COVID wards across various government or government-approved private medical college hospitals sought incentive marks in the upcoming government doctor recruitment drive conducted by the Medical Recruitment Board.

Expressing their concerns, the house surgeons sought equitable treatment with doctors recruited on contract and post-graduate professionals assigned responsibilities during the pandemic. They argue that the nature of their duties, especially in COVID-19 wards, warrants recognition in the form of incentive marks during the recruitment process.

“These five grace marks had a huge impact on the merit list. A majority of the candidates who appeared for the exam were given these marks and due to this, doctors who had scored on pure merit faced a disadvantage,” said Dr Parthiban Shivan, who filed a writ petition in Madras High Court in February 2024.

The last MRB exam was held in 2023 after five years for 1,021 assistant surgeon posts and as a result, a large number of candidates appeared, aspirants informed. The department called nearly 1,600 candidates for the 1,021 posts, of which, 777 were posted.

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