Retain PG admission incentives or we'll not work, 

warn docs

Pushpa Narayan

Chennai:





DOCTORS BODIES KEEP UP PROTEST, HC ALL EARS ON THE ISSUE

Government doctors in the state have threatened to boycott all work, barring emergencies, from May 1, if the health department admitted postgraduates students to medical colleges under the new counselling rules.Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association president Dr K Senthil said many doctors joined government service and worked in rural areas, often far from their families, hoping for incentives such as postgraduate seats. “It will be unfair to deny them the chance. Also, lack of such incentives will discourage many youngsters from joining government service,“ he said.Over the next two days, doctors will hold a human chain, rally and dharna and boycott all meetings and training. On Friday , they will go on mass casual leave and by May 1, they will boycott work barring emergencies, said state secretary Dr P Balakrishnan. The department of medical education has so far offered 50% reservation for doctors in go vernment service and special incentives to those in rural areas and difficult terrain, but a recent high court ruling directed it to adhere to the MCI's new NEET-PG regulations providing only 30% of a candidate's NEET scores as incentive to in-service candidates serving in hillyremote areas.Several doctors bodies have been protesting for the last one week urging the government to ensure their time-tested incentives and reservations are not reduced. This year, the state will conduct counselling for 556 PG seats (after surrendering an equal number for allIndia quota).“We want the government to continue the procedure as it used to do till now,“ said Dr Rubesh Kumar of the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association. Health department officials are consulting legal experts. “We have no vacancies in hilly areas or remote places because of the incentives we give doctors. But if we reserve incentives only for these places, we may have a shortage of doctors in rural PHCs,“ said director of public health Dr K Kolandaisamy .