Chennai: The protest by service doctors, postgraduate students and non-service postgraduate doctors from all over the state at the Director of Medical Education campus in Kilpauk since last week was called off after a meeting with the senior officials of State Health Department including the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan on Thursday.
The doctors had alleged non-transparency in the recruitment of doctors for 465 vacancies that were allotted through the emergency counseling. Service doctors demanded recruitment through regular counselling as a large number of government postgraduate students and non-service postgraduate doctors are yet to be recruited despite the completion of their term. The senior officials of State Health Department assured the doctors of necessary action and convinced them to call off the agitation. However, a portion of the protesters demanded a written assurance and continued the protest.
Dr D Silambarasan, service doctor from a government medical college said, “The demands to look into the violation of GO number 131 that lays down the regulations for emergency counselling stating that allotted seats should not be made in urban areas and the specialists should be placed in their respective departments have been considered by the authorities.” The issue will likely be discussed with the medical recruitment board to derive a conclusion regarding re-allotment of seats. However, students and medicos are to resume duty from tomorrow.
