Tamil Nadu service PG doctors oppose temporary postings without counselling
Chennai: The Director of Medical Education and Research (DME) has temporarily posted service PG doctors without counselling, prompting objections from doctors, who said the move departs from the standard posting process followed in the past few years.
Under the new arrangement, doctors who have completed their postgraduate course are being relieved from their medical colleges and directed to join their assigned institutions immediately. Those still pursuing their course will be relieved on the day they complete it and report to the allotted post.
The doctors said this is different from the practice followed in previous years, when service PG doctors were given regular postings after completing their courses through counselling. They said the immediate reporting requirement is particularly difficult for those currently appearing for their practical examinations.
“Our practical examination started on September 28 and is still going on. Meanwhile, DME issued an order asking us to report to the posted institution immediately. It is not possible when doctors are preparing for practical exams. Since it is a temporary posting, we do not know when the permanent posting will be made. We cannot completely relocate from our current place for a temporary posting. This is causing us unnecessary hardship,” a service PG doctor studying in Chennai said.
Doctors also said the orders have created logistical difficulties for those posted outside their current districts. While some government medical colleges have reportedly started relieving PG doctors, the doctors have also questioned the absence of service seniority in determining the postings.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr V Lokanayaki, director of medical education and research, said the temporary arrangement had been made to ensure that doctors receive their salaries without delay. Previous batches had faced salary issues, and some doctors were still facing such problems. She said the majority of doctors were comfortable with the temporary arrangement as it was intended to ensure timely payment and only a few had raised objections.
In a September 5 communication to deans of government medical colleges, the DME directed them to immediately relieve service PG doctors who had completed their courses. The doctors were to be issued non-drawal certificates so that their salaries could be claimed from the new institution from the day after completion of their course until they formally joined their reassigned posts.
The DME has also directed doctors to join their assigned institutions without delay.
“We are okay with that gap as it is a routine procedure,” another service PG doctor said, referring to the earlier practice of salaries being released along with pending dues after the posting process was completed.
