Key posts vacant or under additional charge at Tamil Nadu govt medical institutions

Several key positions in government medical college hospitals across Tamil Nadu are either vacant or being managed by personnel on additional-charge arrangements, according to government doctors. This situation, they say, is impeding administrative functioning and delaying decisions related to patient care.

Inquiries with doctors at multiple institutions revealed that vacancies or additional-charge arrangements exist for directors of institutes of internal medicine, orthopaedics, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). Similar gaps were noted for surgical gastroenterology at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital (SMCH), paediatrics at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, and the deans of medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Coimbatore ESI, and Tiruvannamalai. The post of director at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore, has reportedly been held on an additional charge basis for nearly a year.

The issue extends to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME), which oversees the state's government medical college hospitals. The post of DME is currently held under additional charge, and a senior doctor noted that two important positions in the directorate — DME and Additional DME — are under interim arrangement or vacant at a time when MBBS counselling and a court case concerning super speciality courses are underway.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, highlighted that the DME is a major department controlling 38 medical colleges and affiliated institutions. He noted that despite the rising number of undergraduate, postgraduate, and allied health science seats and government schemes, the post has not been filled through regular appointments and is managed through Full Additional Charge (FAC). He argued that when a panel of eligible candidates is prepared in advance, the eligible candidate should assume charge automatically once the incumbent retires. "Where an eligible candidate is available, what is the need to place another person on FAC?" he asked, adding that continued use of FAC arrangements undermines the authority and effectiveness of the director's post.

The post of Additional DME is also vacant, and Dr. Ramalingam pointed out that unlike the other two health directorates, the DME is poorly equipped as it lacks administrative posts like joint directors. Referring to the vacant posts of Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at RGGGH and Surgical Gastroenterology at SMCH, he warned that continued vacancies could weaken and dilute transplant services.

Another doctor said administrative decision-making slows down when posts are held on an FAC basis. Delayed promotions, he added, have a cascading effect on the promotions of professors and associate professors and also affect payband-4 compression.

Dr. Ramalingam suggested that a panel should be prepared by March 15 every year as a cut-off date. "Adhering to this timeline would ensure that eligible candidates are identified in advance and avoid complications arising from vacancies in key posts," he said. An official said the process was underway with the government and that the posts would be filled soon.