TN contract med officers yet to receive salaries, experience letters

CHENNAI: Medical officers hired through outsourcing services to serve at Medical College Hospitals across the State during the pandemic are yet to receive their salaries from the month of December 2021 to March 2022 and medical certificates from the government, which in turn has affected employment opportunities for them.

The medical officers were appointed on contract basis for six months and not only the salaries are due, the employment experience certificate which is to be presented to them for their work during the pandemic is not issued after about three months since their service period ended.

"I got placement in a private insurance firm as a reviewer but because I did not have an experience certificate from the government for serving at the medical college hospital during the pandemic. My employment stays on hold as they are asking me to produce a medical certificate. Some medical officers were given the certificates in Madurai who were deployed on contract basis, directly by government or through private outsourcing services," says Dr S Gautham, who worked as a medical officer at Omandurar Government Medical College Hospital during the pandemic.

Medical officers say that they were not made permanent due to lack of vacancies and as per contract, their duties ended in six months. However, they had to wait for several months to get their salaries sanctioned and now they are awaiting experience certificates.

"We had to not only wait for a time to receive our salaries but the delay in experience certificate is costing us our jobs and further employment. After completing the MBBS degree and working in the government sector, the experience certificate can help us in getting better opportunities. We tried contacting the officials at the Directorate of Medical Education, but we have not received a response," says G Vignesh, another medical officer.

Meanwhile, officials from the Directorate of Medical Education say that the salary amount has been sanctioned and funds have been allotted to the colleges, it should be credited to the medical officers soon. We will be giving them priority in the counselling and salaries will soon be credited as the amount has been sanctioned to the medical colleges now. However, there is no awarded certificates by the government but they can be given a letter stating their contribution," said the Directorate of Medical Education Dr Narayana Babu.