Doctors Raise Concern Over Delay in Appointments in Govt Services

Chennai:Doctors have raised concern over the delay in appointment of medical practitioners in government services who have cleared the recruitment examination conducted by the Tamil Nadu Medical Recruitment Board, warning that it could cost many of them an academic year and affect the state’s healthcare system.

The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) said although 1,071 candidates were selected for government service, only 320 have received appointment orders so far, leaving 751 doctors still waiting for postings.

According to the committee, the recruitment notification issued on November 21 last year, aimed to fill 1,100 medical officer posts. As many as 20,867 candidates appeared for the examination held on January 25, of whom 16,986 qualified.

After certificate verification and seat allocation, 1,071 doctors were finalised for appointment. While the first 100 candidates received orders from the health minister, those ranked between 101 and 320 were issued postings the following day.

However, the remaining candidates are yet to be called for counselling or assigned positions.

The delay has triggered uncertainty among the selected candidates, many of whom had expected prompt induction into government service after clearing the competitive examination.

The LCC noted that the number of posts was reduced from the originally announced 1,100 to 1,071, and even these have not been fully filled.

In a statement, LCC president, Dr. S. Perumal Pillai, said the situation has caused “shock and distress” among young doctors who have completed over five years of medical education and were counting on government employment. He warned that the delay could have serious academic consequences.

The committee pointed out that eligibility for the postgraduate medical entrance examination, NEET-PG, typically requires two years of government service. “With March 31 set as the cut-off date, failure to join service before then would result in candidates losing an entire academic year,” he said.

The LCC also cautioned that prolonged delays in appointments could have long-term repercussions on public healthcare delivery. “If appointments are not made on time, it will eventually lead to a shortage of specialists and super-specialists in government hospitals,” the statement said.

Health department officials said the appointment process was under way and delays were largely procedural. “The recruitment involves multiple stages including verification, allocation and administrative approvals. We are expediting the process and necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the remaining candidates receive their appointment orders at the earliest,” an official said.

The department also indicated that it was examining the possibility of completing the process within the stipulated time-frame so that eligible candidates do not miss academic opportunities.

Highlighting the growing burden on public health institutions, the LCC referred to recent remarks by the health minister that patient footfall in government hospitals has nearly tripled. Despite Tamil Nadu having around 1.5 lakh registered doctors, fewer than 20,000 are currently serving in government facilities, catering to a population of about eight crore.

The committee further alleged that while the Tamil Nadu government has focused on opening new medical colleges and hospitals, there has been no significant increase in sanctioned posts for doctors and nurses over the past 15 years.

Calling for quick action, the LCC urged the government to obtain special permission from the Election Commission, if necessary, to expedite the issuance of appointment orders.

It also reiterated its demand for the creation of 40,000 additional doctor posts and 80,000 nursing posts to strengthen the state’s healthcare infrastructure.