Government doctors staged protests in 14 medical colleges across Tamil Nadu against the redeployment of junior residents and other staff. The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) organised demonstrations in 11 new and four established medical colleges affected by the transfers to newly opened hospitals.

TNGDA criticised the health department for failing to create positions in new facilities. “The health department opened new buildings in hospitals in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tirunelveli under the JICA project spending crores of rupees, but so far no work to open the department has been started. Similarly in Vellore and Thoothukudi, new super specialty hospitals have been inaugurated, but no posts have been created. Doctors and staff from other hospitals have been deployed,” TNGDA said. No new posts were sanctioned at Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital or Government Peripheral Hospital in Periyar Nagar.

Staffing shortages and threats

With only 12,000 doctors serving against a requirement of 24,000 in medical college hospitals, TNGDA warned that redeployment harms patient care. “This will affect patient care. If the health department has been doing this exercise to reduce the manpower in government medical colleges as per NMC norms, then doctors will boycott family welfare camps, VIP convoy duty, physically challenged camps, ‘Nalam Kaakum Stalin’ camps and other things which don’t come under NMC norms,” TNGDA added. It demanded immediate reversal of the decision or escalation of protests.

FOGDA’s stand

The Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) held protests at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. FOGDA stated that redeployment has severely impacted education quality and patient services, urging increased sanctioned posts amid rising post-Covid patient numbers.