Government doctors’ associations have protested the state health department of Tamil Nadu’s decision to halt reservation for service candidates in postgraduate (PG) medical education for specific specialties. A government order (GO) dated July 1 states that, for the academic year 2024–2025, specialties other than general medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics, anesthesiology, chest medicine, radiology, community medicine, and forensic medicine will not be eligible for service reservation for postgraduate seats.The choice was taken as, when they graduate, there are no openings in these specializations to accept service recruits. Every year, the reservation for service candidates will be reevaluated in light of the positions that become available. A top official in the health department clarified that an overabundance of candidates in some specializations forced the decision to be taken. The department was forced to take the action even though it was not something they wanted to do in order to properly handle the situation.
The directive was approved by Dr. J. Sangumani, Director of Medical Education, who said that more than three batches of service postgraduates in various specialties are currently waiting for non-specialty positions in primary health centers (PHCs) and smaller government hospitals (GHs). He gave the example of an ENT specialist who, since there was no opening in his specialty, was assigned to a district hospital trauma department. This circumstance results in the wasteful use of specialized knowledge and degrades the standard of service. These misallocations may prevent a neurologist or orthopedician from being able to help patients.
The move has been met with fierce protest by the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, which claims that it violates the rights of government doctors, who are already facing problems like underpayment and delayed promotions. The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) expressed dissatisfaction as well, arguing that rather than suspending reservations, the government ought to have taken other actions, such eliminating the lifetime bond for current service physicians.
The associations contend that the already difficult circumstances faced by government doctors will get worse if service reservations are suspended. They think the move is only a band-aid solution that ignores the underlying issues, such the need for more jobs and more efficient use of resources within the healthcare system.
Government doctors’ associations are deeply troubled by the state health department’s decision to halt service reservations for specific PG medical education specializations. Instead of short-term actions that they believe jeopardize the rights and advancement of government doctors, they are advocating for longer-term solutions to the overabundance of applicants and the wasteful use of specialized abilities. The ongoing discussion brings to light the intricate difficulties in overseeing workforce development and healthcare education in the state.
SOURCE:
TIMES OF INDIA
