Tamil Nadu medical colleges struggling with vacant director posts, delayed patient care decisions

Critical positions in government medical college hospitals across Tamil Nadu remain either unfilled or are being managed through additional-charge arrangements, with government doctors warning that the administrative logjam is delaying decisions on patient care.

The vacancies span senior leadership roles, including directors of institutes for internal medicine, orthopaedics, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, surgical gastroenterology at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, and paediatrics at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, according to inquiries with government doctors. Dean positions at medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Coimbatore ESI, and Tiruvannamalai are also vacant or held on additional charge.

Directorate of Medical Education under interim leadership

The issue extends to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, which oversees government medical college hospitals statewide, with its top post currently held on additional charge. The director's position at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore, has been managed on an additional-charge basis for almost a year.

A senior doctor pointed out that both the DME and Additional DME posts remain under interim arrangement or vacant even as MBBS counselling and a court case concerning super-speciality courses are under way.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, said the DME controls 38 medical colleges and their affiliated institutions. "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)," he said.

Pattern spans administrations

Ramalingam said the trend was prevalent under previous governments and is being followed by the present administration. "When a panel of eligible candidates is prepared in advance, the eligible candidate should assume charge automatically once the incumbent retires. The continued use of FAC arrangements undermines the authority and effectiveness of the post of director," he said.

The Additional DME post is also vacant, while unlike the two other health directorates, the DME lacks administrative posts such as joint directors, he added. Referring to vacant director posts in cardiothoracic surgery at RGGGH and surgical gastroenterology at SMCH, he warned that "continued vacancies in these posts could further weaken and dilute transplant services".

Another doctor said administrative decision-making slows when posts are held on FAC basis, with delayed promotions having a cascading effect on professors and associate professors while also affecting payband-4 compression. Ramalingam said panels should be prepared by March 15 each year as the cut-off date to ensure eligible candidates are identified in advance and avoid complications from vacancies in key posts.

An official said the process was under way with the government and that posts at government medical college hospitals would be filled soon.

Source: The Hindu