Fresh MRB notification irks doctors, they demand recruitment of already qualified candidates
MRB, in a fresh notification issued on March 15, has called for applications for 2,553 vacant posts of assistant surgeons on a temporary basis in the Tamil Nadu Medical Service. The process for submission of applications will take place from April 24 to May 15, with the examination date to be intimated later
March 30, 2024 01:09 am | Updated March 31, 2024 02:17 pm IST - CHENNAI
A section of doctors, who qualified in the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) examination held to recruit 1,021 assistant surgeons last year, is shocked over the board’s new notification to fill 2,553 vacant posts. Instead of holding a fresh examination, the doctors are demanding that candidates who qualified in last year’s examination should be considered for the existing vacant posts.
MRB, in a fresh notification issued on March 15, has called for applications for 2,553 vacant posts of assistant surgeons on a temporary basis in the Tamil Nadu Medical Service. The process for submission of applications will take place from April 24 to May 15, with the examination date to be intimated later.
The previous MRB recruitment process for 1,021 posts saw inordinate delay owing to multiple reasons. The notification was issued in October 2022 and the recruitments were finally completed in February 2024. In between, a number of candidates, who had worked in government hospitals during COVID-19, took the legal route seeking incentive marks that were awarded eventually.
Claiming that the grant of incentive marks affected their prospects in getting a posting, some of the qualified candidates approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Health department to increase the number of vacancies notified. The court, in its ruling dated February 14, directed the department to consider the representation of the petitioners and pass appropriate orders within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the order.
In such a context, the March 15 notification has not gone down well among a section of doctors. Some of the candidates noted that despite the court order, the notification for new examination has been issued and that they have made a representation to the Health department requesting to increase the number of vacancies and fill vacancies from the list of qualified candidates.
“In the MRB examination held in 2018, the average cut-off of an aspirant was 55 for BC, 52.5 for MBC and 50 for SC. There was an increase in the number of aspirants for the past five years, and giving incentive marks for those who worked during COVID-19 affected the prospects of many candidates. For instance, a SC candidate, despite getting 63 marks, did not get a posting. In such circumstances, releasing a new notification indicates that those with merit marks are being ignored,” a qualified candidate said.
A vacancy should not be kept unfilled for a long time as health is an essential service and it directly affects the poor, he said, adding, “Now, they have brought up 2,553 vacancies. A number of posts were kept vacant for more than five years. This breaches the purpose of MRB as outlined by Government Order 1.”
Information furnished under RTI Act by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine during November 2023 showed there were 1,752 vacancies of assistant surgeons. “When there are 1,752 vacant posts, why not fill accordingly instead of only 1,021 posts. In fact, not all 1,021 posts have been filled. Only around 777 doctors have joined. So there are a good number of posts to which already qualified candidates from the MRB list can be recruited, instead of the fresh notification,” another doctor said.
Another qualified candidate noted that the State government did not conduct the MRB examination for nearly five years as a result of which many candidates were left waiting. “This new notification should be withdrawn,” he added.
An official said all aspects can be looked into only after the elections.
No comments:
Post a Comment