HC seeks report on sending doctors on deputation

“Their names can’t be retained on paper in one hospital and made to work elsewhere”

The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday directed the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine to file a report by Monday explaining why he allowed several government doctors and nurses appointed against sanctioned vacancies in many hospitals to work on deputation in other districts.

A Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran passed the order on a batch of three public interest litigation petitions seeking better medical care in government hospitals.

Recording the submission of M.R. Vairamuthuraju, Dean of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here that doctors from Thanjavur, Thoothukudi and Theni had been deputed to work in GRH and doctors from here had been deputed to work in the government medical college hospital in Sivaganga, the judges wanted the DPH’s report to indicate the number of doctors and nurses sent on deputation to districts other than the ones in which they were expected to serve.

“What is the necessity for deputing the doctors? If you want you should have transferred the doctors to other districts. You cannot retain their names on paper with respect to one hospital and make them work elsewhere. We want the Director to explain why such a large exodus of doctors in the guise of deputation is allowed. We need the details of nurses also since the Dean says that 75 nurses from other hospitals have been deputed to the GRH,” Mr. Justice Nagamuthu told a Special Government Pleader.

The judges recorded the submission of one of counsel for the petitioners that the GRH had only 305 staff nurses against the requirement of 1,195 nurses as per MCI norms. “Though 75 nurses have been deputed here from various hospitals, still the strength is nowhere near the required strength,” the judges said.

In so far as the submission that none of the government hospitals in the State, except the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, had Ceramics Dental Laboratories, the Bench wondered why the State had not established such labs, though the Dean had told the court that it would cost only Rs.6.22 lakh for a lab.

Fiat to Health Secretary

The High Court directed the Health secretary to come up with a proposal by Monday on improving healthcare facilities in government hospitals by ensuring adequate number of doctors and nurses required, as per Medical Council of India norms, in every GH besides establishing infrastructural facilities.