Ma Su denies shortage of doctors in govt hospitals, says contract appointments can help in the short term

Ma Su denies shortage of doctors in govt hospitals, says contract appointments can help in the short term 

TALKING TO TOI 

PushpaNarayan@timesgroup.com 07.11.2024

There is no worsening staff crisis at govt hospitals as recruitments are on, health minister Ma Subramanian has claimed, reacting to Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors’Association’s announcement that 6,000 of 18,000 doctor posts in GHs are vacant. The examination for recruitment of 2,553 medical officers for the public health department will be held soon and recruitment completed by Jan 2025, he told TOI in an interview. 

Hospitals can meanwhile recruit doctors on a contract basis through district health societies, he says. Excerpts: 

■ Doctors’ associations have reported a 30% vacancy rate for doctor positions, leading to a worsening staff crisis in govt hospitals that threatens patient safety. 

It is not as bad as it is projected to be. Vacancies do arise, and recruitment is an ongoing process. Delays can occur for various reasons. Earlier this year, the health department appointed 1,021 doctors through the medical recruitment board. This process involved months of effort to overcome legal hurdles, as many doctors who worked on a contract basis during the Covid-19 pandemic sought incentives for their service. For the first time, we made candidates opt for the places where they wanted to be posted. Yet, more than 190 doctors did not take up their positions, prompting us to cancel some of their offers and make new appointments. 

■ Associations say there are more than 5,000 positions vacant now. How do you plan to fill these? 

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff for GHs are appointed through the medical recruitment board, which has issued a call for applications to fill 2,553 medical officer positions at primary health centres across the state. We are currently in discussions with several corporate organisa tions which conduct online competitive examinations. The exam schedule will be announced soon, and we plan to conduct the exams within a month. The entire appointment process is expected to conclude by Jan 2025. Doctors who have completed postgraduate training and specialisations in the Directorate of Public Health will subsequently be transferred to secondary hospitals managed by the Directorate of Medical Services, and to medical colleges and their affiliated hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education.

 ■ Why are doctors not being directly appointed to secondary hospitals and medical colleges? 

We give incentives to in-service doctors in post-graduate education under the in-service quota. When PHC doctors return after post-graduate education, they have to be placed in hospitals where they can offer services under their speciality. So, we prefer to depute doctors at the DPH side and move them to other directorates. This will ensure primary care is available in all districts. 

■ Won’t this process take time? Don’t you think hospitals will face a shortage of doctors until then? 

No. Hospital authorities and directorates can appoint doctors on a contract basis through district health societies based on need. For instance, hospitals and directorates have complained about a lack of adequate obstetrician-gynaecologists in some hospitals. These hospitals can appoint doctors through the health societies directly. Doctors appointed through the open market through contract will be paid a consolidated salary