Key posts remain vacant in Health department

Several important positions are held as in-charge

Several key posts in Health department have remained vacant or held as in-charge for many months. These include the post of the Director of Medical Education (DME), Director of Medical and Rural Services (DMS) and Deans of medical colleges.

The posts have been held by doctors as in-charge posts. The DMS post, vacant for over a year, is being held as in-charge by K. Senguttuvan, but the post of Additional DMS for rural service has been vacant for almost a year.

An official in a district headquarters hospital said ever since the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was hospitalised routine administrative work had been neglected.

In Chennai, three of the four medical colleges do not have a dean.

The post has been vacant since November in Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and the Omandurar Medical College.

Professional administrator

The government has installed the heads of various departments as in-charge. But doctors say the hospitals attached to medical colleges need a professional administrator.

The Kilpauk Medical College has a dean, but he is also in-charge of the Directorate of Medical Education and officiates as the Dean of Omandurar Medical College.

“An in-charge dean is only a temporary head and there is always uncertainty. Besides, in-charge heads are already heads of their units in another department and have to manage work load in their department. Whereas a permanent dean will be completely involved only in administrative work,” explained a doctor.

Usually, the post of deans for Chennai hospitals/colleges is allotted to senior-most doctors. “The GHs in the city are large with multiple problems, so the senior-most doctors are appointed. But, as most of these doctors get the posting at the end of their career, sometimes they are in the hospital for as little as six months. So the hospitals do not benefit from their experience,” a doctor pointed out.

Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association President K. Senthil said: “The key posts of deans, additional deans, DMS and DME are essential to effectively run the directorates.

The post of DMS has been vacant for over a year and the post of ADMS has been vacant for almost a year.”

‘Orders on the way’

R. Narayana Babu, in-charge DME, said the government was aware of the issue and that within a week the deans would be appointed. “It is in the stage of issuing government orders confirming the postings. The deans would be posted from other districts,” he said.

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