TN: Medicos Oppose Internship Extension; boycott work demanding training completion certificate

In a recent press release, the association stated, "On March 26, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) of Tamil Nadu issued a notification promising to issue completion certificates to trainee doctors who completed one year of training. But today (30/3/21) a circular was issued on behalf of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) which stated that indefinitely, the work of trainee doctors has been extended for the MBBS 2015 batch until the final year examination of the 2016 batch is over and the results of the examination are released and they join as trainee doctors."

Opposing the DME circular, the President of the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association (TNMSA), Dr, Hariganesh stated, " It is not right for DME to take contradictory actions back and forth. It is the exploitation of the work of young doctors at low wages. The Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association strongly condemns such an act. Furthermore, this announcement will affect the preparation of these students for the Post Graduate (PG) Examination and other competitive examinations. This will affect the future of the students also."

The association requested the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Hon'ble Secretary of People's Welfare and the Director of Medical Education to immediately intervene in this matter so that trainee doctors of the 2015 batch should immediately get registered with the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC). The association also demanded that the students who completed one year of training should be immediately hired as Assistant and General Surgeons and should be paid the same salary as a Medical Officer. The trainee doctors have boycotted their work today to air their grievances so that authorities should immediately take action regarding the same.

Previously, Medical Dialogues reported that the doctors of Tamil Nadu Medical Students' Association (TNMSA) asked the Health Secretary and the Director of Medical Education (DME) to issue internship completion certificates without delay. The trainee doctors in Tamil Nadu Government Medical Colleges were supposed to complete their CRRI training period in March but considering the increase in COVID cases, the Health Department recently decided to extend the internship by 2 months to involve house surgeons in COVID-19 duty.