Doctor assn requests Centre to surrender AIQ medical seats

CHENNAI: The doctors association in the State association urged the Union Government to surrender all the unfulfilled All India Quota seats of Tamil Nadu government medical colleges to the State on Friday.

"We have urged the Union Health Ministry to surrender all the unfulfilled All India Quota seats of Tamil Nadu government medical colleges to the State for the betterment of the students in Tamil Nadu so that more students can be admitted to MBBS course. Similarly, post graduate and super speciality seats should be surrendered to Tamil Nadu so that the State government can fill them and more students can benefit from it. The government school students should be given NEET coaching in the early stages," said Dr G R Ravindranath, secretary of Doctors' Association for Social Equality.

Tamil Nadu Medical Students' Association, Foreign Medical Graduates Wing thanked the State Government for allowing the foreign medical graduates to practice their internship in the State. More than 800 foreign medical graduates are waiting for the opportunity to complete their internship and the association has requested accommodation facilities for the students.

"The doctors on 24-36 hours duty affect the healthcare system and thus, we request the government to keep the duty time and shifts as per 8 hours shift basis. The doctors should also be given weekly off, and leave on public holidays. They should not be given non-medical and documentation work while on duty. Moreover, the government should monitor the same in all the medical colleges," he said.

The association also demanded to conduct the medical council elections in a fair manner. They requested to abolish the system of ballot paper and conduct Internet based elections for voting.

"We request the Directorate of Medical Education to look into the ragging complaints in private medical colleges and anto-ragging awareness sessions should be conducted in all medical colleges,” said Dr Ravindranath.