HC raps govt for sacking nurse days before retirement

CHENNAI: M C Gomathi Nayagi, a village health nurse in government service for 28 years, was served her dismissal order just 18 days before her retirement in last year. Reason: She does not possess the minimum required qualification of SSLC pass. Nayagi had failed in her SSLC examination in 1977, but joined service in 1986.

Ridiculing the Tamil Nadu government for having come up with a termination order after 28 years, Justice D Hariparanthaman said: "It is not in dispute that as per the recruitment rules, she should have passed SSLC. It is true that she did not pass SSLC. Having employed her for about 28 years, knowing very well that she did not pass SSLC, now she could not be terminated on the verge of her retirement by an innocuous order saying she did not pass SSLC at the time of appointment."

The judge said the government has been invoking Rule 48 of the Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Service Rules and issuing many orders relaxing qualification in case the employee concerned did not possess the requisite qualification. "In this case, she rendered 28 years of service. Deputy director of health services in Vellore should have sent a proposal to the government seeking to relax her qualification. But, unfortunately, he sought to pass an order terminating her service," he said.

Holding that the termination order was violative of a person's fundamental right to life and equality, the judge said, "I have no hesitation to quash the order (at the admission stage itself)."

Consequently, Justice Hariparanthaman directed the deputy director of health services to send a proposal to relax the qualification of Gomathi Nayagi within 30 days. He shall also pass orders invoking his powers to relax qualifications of employees. The authorities should take into account the circumstances surrounding the present case, and pass orders within two weeks. Her terminal benefits, including pension, shall be settled within eight weeks thereafter, the judge said.

The termination order was issued to her by the deputy director of health service in Vellore district on June 12, 2014, whereas she was scheduled to attain superannuation on June 30, 2014. She joined as village health nurse on September 24, 1986.

Number of medical, dental seats announced

Chennai: The director of medical education, Dr S. Geethalakshmi, announced the number of MBBS and BDS seats for government colleges for the new academic year on Thursday. The medical officials also explained the new system of ‘random number selection’ to solve the problem of admission if several students get the same rank.

According to the directorate, a total of 2,655 MBBS seats are available across the state’s government colleges, of which 398 seats are allocated to the all India quota and 2,257 seats to the state quota. The government dental college, Chennai, has a total of 100 seats of which 15 are under the all India quota and 85, state quota.

On the matter of several students getting the same rank, the authorities said they will first look at the students’ Biology mark. If that is similar, then their Chemistry marks will be taken into consideration, followed by their Mathematics marks. If all their marks are the same, then the students will be chosen by their date of birth.

If students have the same date of birth then the last resort would be a random selection of students on the list. The officials at the directorate of medical education announced that the merit list for MBBS and BDS courses will be announced on June 15.

எம்பிபிஎஸ் படிப்புக்கான ரேண்டம் எண் வெளியீடு: ஜூன் 19ல் கலந்தாய்வு!

சென்னை: எம்பிபிஎஸ் மற்றும் பிடிஎஸ் படிப்புக்கான ரேண்டம் எண்ணை மருத்துவக் கல்வி இயக்குனர் கீதாலட்சுமி வெளியிட்டுள்ளார். ஜூன் 19ஆம் தேதி முதல் கட்ட கலந்தாய்வு நடைபெறும் என்றும் அறிவித்துள்ளார்.

சென்னை கீழ்ப்பாக்கத்தில் உள்ள மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்ககம் அலுவலகத்தில் இன்று செய்தியாளர்களிடம் பேசிய மருத்துவக் கல்வி இயக்குனர் கீதாலட்சுமி, எம்பிபிஎஸ் மற்றும் பிடிஎஸ் படிப்புக்கான ரேண்டம் எண் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளதாக தெரிவித்தார்.

ஒரே கட் ஆப் மதிப்பெண் பெற்ற மாணவர்களை வரிசைப்படுத்த ரேண்டம் எண் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளது என்றும், 12ஆம் வகுப்பு தேர்வு மதிப்பெண், பிறந்த தேதி மூலம் ரேண்டம் எண்ணை தெரிந்து கொள்ளலாம் என்றும் அவர் கூறினார்.

tnhealth.org.in என்ற இணையதளத்தில் ரேண்டம் எண்ணை மாணவர்கள் அறிந்து கொள்ளலாம் என்று தெரிவித்த கீதாலட்சுமி, பிளஸ் 2 மறுமதிப்பு முடிந்த உடன் தகுதி பட்டியல் வெளியிடப்படும் என்றார்.

ஜூன் 19ஆம் தேதி முதல் 25ஆம் தேதிக்குள் முதல் கட்ட கலந்தாய்வை முடிக்க மருத்துவ கல்வி இயக்ககம் திட்டமிட்டிருக்கிறது என்றும், கலந்தாய்வு தேதிகள் நீதிமன்ற அறிவுறுத்தலின்படி நடைபெறும் என்றும் அவர் கூறினார்.

மருத்துவ படிப்புக்கான இடங்கள் 2,655 ஆக அதிகரித்துள்ளது என்றும், கடந்தாண்டை விட இந்தாண்டு 100 இடங்கள் கூடுதலாகும் என்றும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.

ஓமந்தூரர் அரசினர் தோட்டத்தில் உள்ள அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி மூலம் 100 இடங்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளது என தெரிவித்த கீதாலட்சுமி, ஓமந்தூரார் அரசினர் தோட்டத்தில் உள்ள அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லூரிக்கு அனுமதி கிடைத்துள்ளது என்றார்.

தட்கல் பயணச்சீட்டுக்கான முன்பதிவு நேரம் மாற்றம்: ரயில்வே நிர்வாகம் அறிவிப்பு!

புதுடெல்லி: கூட்ட நெரிசலைத் தவிர்க்கும் நோக்கில், தட்கல் பயணச் சீட்டுகளுக்கான முன்பதிவு நேரத்தை ரயில்வே நிர்வாகம் மாற்ற முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.

ரயில்வே வாரிய உறுப்பினர் அஜய் சுக்லா டெல்லியில் செய்தியாளர்களிடம் பேசுகையில், தட்கல் பயணச்சீட்டு முன்பதிவுக்கான நேர மாற்றத்தை  அறிவித்தார். அதன்படி, ஏ.சி. வகுப்பு ரயில் பெட்டிகளுக்கான தட்கல் பயணச்சீட்டுகள், காலை 10 முதல் 11 மணிவரையும், ஏ.சி. அல்லாத வகுப்புகளுக்கு பகல் 11 மணியில் இருந்தும் முன்பதிவு செய்யலாம்.

அவர் மேலும் கூறும்போது, ''இந்திய ரயில்வே உணவு, சுற்றுலாக் கழகத்தின் இணையதளத்தை பல்வேறு சேவைகளுக்காக அண்மையில் ஒரே நாளில் 3 கோடி பேர் அணுகினர். இதனால், அந்த இணையச் சேவை மிகவும் தாமதமானது. அதனால், இணையதளம் மூலம் முன்பதிவு செய்யும்போது வேகமாக சேவை கிடைப்பதை உறுதிசெய்யவும், கவுண்ட்டர்களில் பயணிகளின் கூட்ட நெரிசலைத் தவிர்க்கவும் இந்தப் புதிய நடைமுறை கொண்டுவரப்பட உள்ளது. இந்த புதிய நடைமுறை இன்னும் சில நாட்களில் அமலுக்கு வரும்.

தத்கல் பயணச்சீட்டுகளை முன்பதிவு செய்து விட்டு பின்னர் ரத்து செய்யும் பயணிகளுக்கு பயணக்கட்டணத்தில் ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட சதவீதத்தை திருப்பித் தருவது குறித்தும் பரிசீலித்து வருகிறோம். பயணச்சீட்டை ரத்து செய்வதற்கு குறிப்பிட்ட கால அளவு நிர்ணயிக்கப்படும். அதற்குள் ரத்து செய்யும் பயணிகளுக்கு குறிப்பிட்ட சதவீதத் தொகை திருப்பித் தரப்படும்.

பிரீமியம் ரயில்களுக்கும் முன்பதிவு செய்யப்படும் பயணச்சீட்டுகளுக்கான கட்டணத்தில் ஒரு பகுதி திருப்பித் தரப்படும். அந்த வகை ரயில் பயணச்சீட்டுகளில் திருப்பி அளிக்கப்படும் தொகை 50 சதவீதம் வரை இருக்கலாம். பிரீமியம் ரயில்களை சுவிதா ரயில்கள் என்று பெயர் மாற்றவும் முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது" என்றார்.

Craze for specialisation: Few takers for general medicine

ENT specialist for a sniffle; a cardiologist for a minor breathing problem; a neurologist for a throbbing headache. With doctors being judged by the panoply of degrees suffixed to their names, general practitioners with MBBS degrees have been pushed to work as subordinates till they earn an extra acronym on their name plates.

While more than 5,000 MBBS students in the state fought for 1,200 post-graduate seats, senior doctors say the rat race has taken a toll on the health sector since fewer people are opting to become general practitioners attending to minor ailments.

"Over a decade ago, many MBBS students would go back to their native place to practise medicine and would apply for post-graduation after two to three years," said J Mohanasundaram, former director of medical education. But, now, pursuing a specialisation immediately after under graduation has become an obvious choice for students. "Now, a general practitioner with an MBBS is seen unfit to write out prescriptions.Even for a minor ailment, people head to a specialist," he said, adding that in most countries, patients first approach a general practitioner, who would then refer them to a specialist.

Students who complete their MBBS can practise as physicians and start their own clinics or nursing homes. However, with many struggling to pay off hefty student loans, they choose to work as duty medical officers in the government sector or in private hospitals."However, most of them eye post-graduate seats and prefer to join government sector so they can secure a seat through the state quota," said Dr V Kanagasabai, former dean of Madras Medical College (MMC). Senior doctors say that students often begin preparing for their specialisation during their one-year compulsory house surgency period. "The one year is to train them as physicians and they learn to treat all sorts of ailments. But most of them use this time to prepare for their PG admission. They focus only on the specialisation they are interested in," said Mohanasundaram.

Although age is no bar for applying for postgraduation, MBBS graduates are reluctant to wait for more than a year or two. "I feel I won't be competent enough to crack the entrance compared to those who are fresh out of college," said Pavithra E, a medical officer in a private hospital who plans to appear for the entrance exam next year.

Experts say increasing the number of PG seats would help in a big way . "The thrust on postgraduation is so much that many of them pay hefty capitation fees and join private medical colleges. They don't realise that having an MBBS doesn't make you half a doctor. It is the hands-on experience and the learning that you get that really matter," said Dr K Raghavan, former head of the department of general medicine at the government general hospital.

Non-clinical courses turn less attractive

Big bucks, fewer hours of work and innumerable job opportunities seem to be driving several MBBS doctors to pursue a PG degree in clinical courses. As a result, courses in the non-clinical category like anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, forensics, community medicine, pathology, bio-medicine and microbiology appear to be receiving step-motherly treatment.

The reason for the lukewarm response to non-clinical PG medical courses is the lack of enough opportunities and low pay. Explaining the situation, former Madras Medical College dean Dr V Kanagasabai said, "One of the main reasons why people choose to become a doctor is because they can save lives and treat patients.However, these are the important things that a non-clinical course would lack. While these graduates can excel in teaching and research or even practise general medicine, there is no direct contact with patients." There is little motivation for candidates to go for a nonclinical degree as the pay is much low compared to those in specialised fields and chances of getting promoted early are not great either, he added.

Another reason for graduates shying away from non-clinical courses is the lack of opportunities, said Doctors' Association for Social Equality general secretary Dr G R Ravindranath. "Earlier, the retirement age of medical teachers was 70. Now, MCI has decided to extend it to 75 which will easily rob the job opportunities for any young doctor who wants to teach. Apart from affecting the job and promotions of young doctors, it will lead to depression and frustration among young doctors," he said.

Doctors explained that a couple of decades ago, in an effort to attract talent in the non-clinical side, the MCI and state governments offered high salaries and also offered promotions to them much earlier than doctors in specialized fields. However, nowadays, the scales had been equalized and there was nothing to push candidates to pick non-clinical courses.

Pay and promotion aside, some candidates feel that some non-clinical specialities demand long work hours and involve a lot of stress. "For example, there is a huge shortage of forensic experts in our state. But if I opt to study forensics, I would end up spending the better part of my day cutting up bodies when I can use the same time to treat live people," said a candidate who picked a PG course in dermatology .

Unless, the MCI decides to step in and change matters, the situation for non-clinical courses would remain dismal, said Dr Kanagasabai. "MCI has to understand that these very courses are the building blocks of medical education and they need their due," he said.

Parliamentary committee visits CMCH

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare visited the Coimbatore Medical College as well as the Hospital on Monday. Comprising members from both houses of Parliament, the committee is tasked with examining the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Indian Nursing Council.

Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Director of Medical Education S. Geethalakshmi, District Collector Archana Patnaik, Hospital Dean A. Edwin Joe and Deputy Director of Health Services S. Somasundaram accompanied the committee members.

The members inspected the recently-constructed Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care centre .

Committee member M.K. Raghavan, a Congress MP representing Kozhikode, told journalists that they sought to ascertain the grievances of patients and the infrastructure requirements of the doctors. Tamil Nadu was next only to Kerala nationally in terms of healthcare infrastructure and performance.