Chennai: More than 700 service doctors, postgraduate students and non-service postgraduate doctors from all over the state gathered to protest on Directororate of Medical Education campus in Kilpauk on Tuesday. Service doctors demanding recruitment through regular counselling alleged of non-transparency in the counselling of the doctors done owing to the emergency need of service doctors due to a surge in dengue cases in the state.
Doctors claim that around 465 vacancies were allotted to private college students through the emergency counselling even though a large number of government postgraduate students and non-service postgraduate doctors were available.
"Walk-in interview for recruitment is only on a temporary basis, in case of emergency. The Medical Recruitment Board takes the ranking and merit into consideration, but it was ignored in the recent counselling. Authorities had conducted recruitment violating the GO number 131 that lays down the regulations for emergency counselling and have allotted seats in Chennai, Madurai and other areas," said Dr D. Silambarasan, service doctor from a government medical college.
The protest intensified as doctors strike work and demanded to discuss the issue with the health secretary. Doctors want the recruitment board to re-consider the recruitment made based on walk-in interviews, which is done only in case of emergency and not on a regular basis.
"The allotment made for a group of private doctors leaving behind the righteous group of assistant professors, non-service doctors with two years of service bond to the government has affected the doctors who have already served the service. We expect the health secretary to look into the issue and resolve it as soon as possible," said Dr G.R. Rabindranath, Doctors' Association for Social Equality.
However, the senior officials of state health department have said that a notification regarding the recruitment was already issued to the doctors and there was no violation of regulations. Further discussion and clarifications will be made at a meeting to be held on Thursday along with the director of medical education and health secretary.
