RTI reveals 229 Tamil Nadu Govt doctors absent from duty, NGO seeks action

Tirunelveli: Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take stringent action against 229 doctors who are allegedly absent from government service despite being bound by compulsory service bond agreements.

The demand follows information obtained through Right to Information (RTI) applications from 28 districts, which reportedly revealed the names of doctors and medical professors who have been absent from duty for prolonged periods, in some cases extending up to 15 years.

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The NGO said these doctors had benefited from government-supported medical education, including 50% reservation in postgraduate, super-speciality and diploma courses, 30% incentive marks in NEET-PG examinations, monthly stipends during their studies, and subsidised education funded by taxpayers. In return, they had signed service bonds committing to serve in government healthcare institutions for a specified period.

According to the data, Chennai accounted for the highest number of such cases with 49 doctors, followed by Thanjavur (24), Tiruchy (16), Theni (15), and Karur (13). Together, the top five districts accounted for 117 cases, representing more than half of the total reported unauthorised absences, reports TOI.

Speaking to TNIE, Arappor Iyakkam member M Radhakrishnan, who obtained the names of 229 such doctors through RTI, said that the TN government did not follow its own guidelines to recover service bond amounts from absconding doctors. He has sent a petition to the chief minister, health minister, and health secretary demanding action.

The petition has called for measures, including the cancellation or suspension of medical registrations and passports until the doctors fulfil their service bond obligations.

The organisation said the absence of these doctors has worsened manpower shortages in government hospitals, reduced access to specialised treatment in public healthcare facilities, and affected academic training opportunities for medical students in government institutions.

M Radhakrishnan also alleged that despite several circulars issued by the department in 2012, 2019, and 2022 prescribing action against these doctors, many of these were not implemented. “Chennai and Thanjavur alone accounted for 73 of the 229 doctors, while the top five districts accounted for 117 cases,” he added, reports TNIE.

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