Key posts at govt. medical institutions across T.N. vacant or held by personnel given additional-charge, say doctors

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Several key positions in government medical college hospitals across Tamil Nadu are vacant or are being managed by personnel given additional-charge arrangements. This, according to government doctors, is impeding administrative functioning and affecting timely decision-making relating to patient care.

Inquiries with government doctors in many institutions showed that the vacant posts or those held as additional charges included directors of institutes of internal medicine, orthopaedics, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), surgical gastroenterology at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital (SMCH), and paediatrics at the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, and deans of medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Coimbatore ESI, and Tiruvannamalai. The post of director of Institute of the Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore, has been held on an additional charge basis for almost a year.

The issue even extends to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME), which oversees government medical college hospitals in the State. The post of DME is currently being held on additional charge. A senior doctor said two important positions in the directorate — DME and Additional DME — were under interim arrangement/vacant at a time when MBBS counselling and a court case concerning super speciality courses were under way.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, pointed out that the DME was a major department, with 38 medical colleges and its affiliated institutions under its control. “Year after year, the number of undergraduate, postgraduate, and allied health science seats, along with government schemes, are on the rise, but the post has not been filled through regular appointments and managed through Full Additional Charge (FAC). This has become routine over the years. This trend, which was prevalent under the previous governments, is being followed by the present government too. When a panel of eligible candidates is prepared in advance, the eligible candidate should assume charge automatically once the incumbent retires. Where an eligible candidate is available, what is the need to place another person on FAC. The continued use of FAC arrangements undermines the authority and effectiveness of the post of director,” he said.

The post of Additional DME is also vacant, he said, adding: “Unlike the two other health directorates, the DME is already poorly equipped as there are no administrative posts like that of joint directors.”

Referring to the vacant posts of Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the RGGGH and Surgical Gastroenterology at SMCH, he said, “Continued vacancies in these posts could further weaken and dilute transplant services,” he said.

Another doctor said administrative decision making slowed down when posts were held on FAC basis.