Despite objections, Health department approves 380 new posts by surrendering existing posts in Tamil Nadu

Even as objections continue to be raised by a section of government doctors and associations, the State Health department has proceeded to issue a fresh order creating 380 new posts in 13 government medical colleges through the surrender of existing posts. The second such order in a month has left doctors apprehensive that this ongoing practice could increase their work burden and impact patient care, rather than addressing their long-term demand for new posts in line with the rising patient load.

Earlier this year, the Health Minister announced in the Assembly that 500 postgraduate seats would be created in 13 government medical colleges and Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital. Following this, the Director of Medical Education and Research submitted a proposal seeking sanction of human resources for starting the new courses.

A total of 380 posts were proposed based on the number of teaching faculty required as per National Medical Commission (NMC)/Post Graduate Medical Education Board norms — 31 each for the government medical colleges in Virudhunagar, The Nilgiris, Dindigul, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Namakkal and Karur, seven for Ramanathapuram, and 32 for Pudukottai. These posts, included associate professor, assistant professor and senior resident positions.

However, this was being carried out by surrendering 392 posts identified as surplus at these institutions under NMC guidelines. Over 90% of the surrendered posts were those of junior residents (JR), with the rest being senior resident, associate professor and professor. Earlier, in November, the government had approved 59 new posts to strengthen cancer care in 16 tertiary hospitals by surrendering an equal number of posts in various medical institutions — again, mostly JR posts.

A senior doctor said that the doctor posts were sanctioned based on outpatient and in-patient statistics. “Now, posts are created according to NMC norms, and the department is treating them as excess and surrendering them without considering the patient load,” he said.

P. Saminathan, president, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, said they have consistently opposed surrendering existing posts as there are already shortages of doctors, nurses and paramedics. “The Health Minister repeatedly states that patient numbers in government hospitals have increased 2.5 fold across outpatients, inpatients and surgeries. Yet the number of doctors treating them has not increased. The department is using the redeployment/surrender model to increase the posts for some specialities, while decreasing them in others,” he said.

Not increasing the posts of doctors as per patient load exploits the already overstretched workforce, he added. “The same has happened since 2017. The 13 new medical colleges were created by upgrading district headquarters hospitals. The newly-rechristened district headquarters hospitals have no new posts of doctors, staff nurses and paramedics created till now. They are forced to recruit human resources and run the institutions under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme funds,” Dr. Saminathan explained.

“This move goes against social justice principles and will affect the employment opportunities of many doctors,” another senior doctor said, adding that the department was trying to classify PGs as JR to obtain approval for the new PG seats. Another young doctor noted that reducing JR posts would affect patient care because they form a vital component of the ground-level workforce.