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Doctors’ associations have warned that the Tamil Nadu Health Department’s plan to redeploy 400-odd junior resident (JR) posts across government medical colleges in the State could adversely affect patient care and increase the workload for existing staff. Organisations including the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) and Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association (TNMOA) have expressed strong opposition to the move. TNMOA’s secretary M. Akilan, in a statement, said this move, under the pretext of creating new postgraduate (PG) seats, poses a serious threat to healthcare delivery in government medical institutions. Redeploying existing manpower from core departments such as General Medicine, General Surgery, and other clinical specialities will inevitably weaken patient care services. TNGDA president K. Senthil said an awareness programme against this decision will be held on November 10, followed by a State-wide protest the next day. “The department plans to redeploy JR posts predominantly from the 11 new medical colleges, and a few others such as Karur and Pudukottai. The redeployment is for various reasons, including to meet manpower needs at certain institutions. The department cannot redeploy JRs without factoring in patient care,” he said. Describing the move as “absurd and hasty”, he said the redeployment is being considered even before applying for new postgraduate courses, likely to be submitted only next year. “The department seems to have misinterpreted National Medical Commission (NMC) norms that there is no need for a separate cadre of JRs when post graduates are available in the institution. If implemented now, we will stand the risk of de-recognition for undergraduate courses, as departments will fall short of JRs, and NMC inspections will take note of the deficiencies,” he added. ‘Will affect patient care’ Dr. Akilan added that instead of strengthening the public health system, this exercise will reduce the available workforce, increase the burden on existing staff, and compromise the quality of care provided to lakhs of patients who depend on government hospitals every day. If the government’s objective is to expand PG medical education, new posts with fresh financial sanction should be created. Redeployment of existing posts is not expansion, it is mere redistribution. While around 400 doctors may directly face displacement due to this move, the larger and more alarming consequence is the erosion of clinical services across government hospitals that will affect the public, he said. TNMOA urged the State government to immediately withdraw the order on JR redeployment and instead sanction new posts with appropriate budget allocation for the proposed PG seats in the 11 new medical colleges. But this does not end with JR posts alone. “There is another circular from the government seeking details of surplus posts of doctors including professors to be surrendered for the purpose of redesignation,” Dr. Senthil said.
