Delay in appointment orders for 751 posts: TN doctors seek Govt Intervention
Chennai: The Legal Coordination Committee (LCC) for Government Doctors has urged the Tamil Nadu government to seek special approval from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue appointment orders to 751 doctors selected through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB). The committee pointed out that although a total of 1,071 candidates were chosen in the recruitment process, only 320 have received their appointment letters so far.
According to the committee, the timely issuance of the remaining orders is crucial, as only doctors who join service before March will be eligible to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) postgraduate examination.
On November 21, 2025, a notification was issued by the MRB regarding the recruitment of medical officers to posts. The examination was held on January 25, 2026, with 20,867 candidates appearing, of whom 16,986 passed. After certificate verification and seat allocation, 1,071 doctors were finally selected. Appointment orders for the first 100 doctors were handed over by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare. The next day, candidates ranked 101 to 320 were also given appointment orders. So far, only 320 doctors have received postings.
The association stated that those next in line have not yet been called for counselling, raising doubts about whether they will be appointed. The government first announced 1,100 posts, later reduced to 1,071, and has not filled even those completely. This has caused hardship to doctors. After completing 5½ years of medical studies, these doctors cleared the MRB exam with the expectation of government service. The fact that only 320 have been appointed while others wait has caused shock and distress.
In a statement signed by Dr. S. Perumal Pillai, President, Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC), the committee stated, “Generally, only after completing two years of government service can doctors qualify to take the NEET postgraduate exam. Since the cut-off date is March 31, they must join service before then to avoid losing a year. Delays mean doctors lose valuable time, and in the long run, government hospitals will face shortages of specialists and super-specialists.”
“The Health Minister has stated that the number of patients visiting government hospitals has tripled. Hence, we have long urged the government to double the number of doctor posts in primary health centers and government hospitals. Tamil Nadu has about 1.5 lakh registered doctors, but fewer than 20,000 serve in government hospitals for a population of 8 crore. How can adequate medical care be ensured under such circumstances? The government is keen on opening new medical colleges and hospitals, but for over 15 years, it has not created new posts for doctors and nurses,” the statement further added.
The association has also urged the Tamil Nadu Government to immediately issue appointment orders to the 751 doctors still waiting. Furthermore, it demanded the creation of 40,000 doctor posts and 80,000 nurse posts to strengthen this life-saving sector.
