TN Resident doctors slam 'arbitrary' deputation of non-service PG doctors, demand GO rollback
Deputation of Non-service Postgraduate doctors
Chennai: Condemning the recent Government decision to depute Non-Service Postgraduate (NSPG) doctors away from their originally allotted Government Hospitals, the doctors have demanded an immediate cancellation of all arbitrary deputation orders.
Apart from this, the Tamil Nadu Resident Doctors Association (TNRDA) also demanded the need for a transparent and accurate reporting of manpower requirements during counselling, and a clear policy to prevent exploitation of non-service PG doctors. They also demanded an urgent posting of the MRB 2025 selected candidates waiting in the recruitment pool.
In a recent release, the resident doctors in Tamil Nadu under TNRDA pointed out how recently, due to an administrative decision, Non-Service Postgraduates (NSPG) were deputed away from their originally allotted Government Hospitals. In some of the cases, they were deputed to institutes located 3 to 4 hours away from their place of residence.
The association pointed out how this administrative move caused undue stress and hardship to the affected doctors, who are already working under challenging conditions.
"It is unacceptable to treat NSPG doctors as stop-gap arrangements for systemic administrative lapses. These postgraduate residents are not receiving any special pay, incentives, or allowances despite being posted far from their designated locations. Such treatment is both exploitative and demoralising," the association mentioned in the release.
Highlighting a lack of transparency in counselling, the association pointed out that the Government administrators failed to reflect manpower shortages in actual GHs during transfer counselling or service/NSPG counselling. According to TNRDA, this has led to unplanned and forced deputations.
Another issue that the association pointed out is the inaction on MRB 2025 candidates. It highlighted that a large number of MRB 2025 Specialist candidates (DPH) stream) are waiting for their transfer counselling under the DMS directorate and despite being available and willing to serve, they have not been recruited or posted appropriately.
Several candidates who have cleared the MRB 2025 Certificate Verification (CV) are also awaiting appointment and are ready to serve in rural or underserved areas, highlighted the association.
In the release, the association highlighted the need for regular recruitment and mentioned that instead of resorting to ad-hoc deputations, the government must focus on recruiting adequate Medical Officers and Specialists on a regular basis to ensure sustainable healthcare delivery across Tamil Nadu.
Accordingly, the association demanded an immediate cancellation of all arbitrary deputation orders issued to NSPGs, a transparent and accurate reporting of manpower needs during counselling processes, an urgent posting of MRB 2025 selected candidates waiting in the recruitment pool, and a clear policy to prevent exploitation of NSPGs, including justified duty postings and compensation.
"Doctors are not bonded labourers. Respecting their rights is the first step towards strengthening public healthcare," said Dr. Keerthy Varman from TNRDA.
