TN govt doctors object to postings in non-parent departments

CHENNAI: While the State Health Department officials claim to have conducted a transparent transfer counselling, several government doctors complain of being posted in other specialities than their parent speciality.

Doctors say that several posts in specialities like Transfusion Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Medical Gastroenterology and Forensic medicine are being occupied by non-parental department staff.

Dr Perumal Pillai, President of Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors said that even though qualified candidates are available adequately in the State government service, the qualified doctors in the respective speciality are posted in non-parent department. “This will lead to treating patients by non-qualified people resulting in potential hazards to people. In addition, this is not as per the National Medical Commission's approval,” he added.

The committee alleged that the vacancies in the blood transfusion department in Madras Medical College, Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, and Institute of Obstetrics, Egmore have been filled in by specialists from other departments. Similarly in Tiruvallur Medical College, a candidate with Diploma in Clinical Pathology candidate has been posted as Assistant Professor in the blood bank. However, only a master degree holder qualifies for the post.

"In Villupuram medical college, a qualified PMR post graduate has been refused to be posted in the PMR department even though there is a vacancy. In Dharmapuri medical college, all the four faculties in the Neurosurgery are non- parental," a committee member pointed out.

However, when asked about the same, officials with the Directorate of Medical Education said that the transfer counselling has been conducted transparently.

"Around 3-4 years ago, positions of tutors were filled in from non-parent department also due to large number of vacancies. However, there is a due counselling now and all the doctors have been asked to go to their parent department. It is a long process as someone serving in other districts find it difficult to move suddenly, but they have been instructed and process is going on. The counselling has been very transparent this year," said Director of Medical Education Dr Narayana Babu.