Directorate of Medical Education ask medical colleges to issue course completion certificate to house surgeons

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has issued fresh order to deans of all government and self-financing medical colleges to give course completion certificate to house surgeons on Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) who have completed 12 months of the training period.

The move follows the medical students staging a protest across the State demanding to withdraw its previous order of retaining the medicos till a fresh batch of students arrives, due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. The Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association (TNMSA), which organised the protest, said it would withdraw the protest following the fresh order.

The fresh order, dated March 31, said the special appreciation certificate and stipend would be provided to the house surgeons who would be willing and opting to help during the pandemic. “The deans of government, self-financing medical colleges are informed that, in partial modification of the order issued on March 30, CRRIs who have completed their 12 months of training may be permitted for completion of the course,” the order said.

“CRRIs who are willing and opting to help during the pandemic crisis may be permitted to continue to work in the hospitals. Stipend will be arranged and special appreciation certificate will be issued to them,” it added.

However, the Health Department officials said that house surgeons who had not completed their 12 months training period would be retained. To the offer, the TNMSA said the Health Department should pay Rs 60,000 to the house surgeons who were willing to work on par with doctors who were recruited for COVID duty.

Paying stipend to them was exploitation of their hard work, it said. Meanwhile, SM Hariganesh, general secretary, TNMSA, said, around 900 house surgeons in the State were yet to complete their 12-month training period. Many of them joined the training late as it was delayed by the COVID situation.

The house surgeons boycotted work and began protest after the DME, in its order to all deans dated March 30, said the 2015 batch of the medical students should be retained till a fresh batch joins in view of the Covid pandemic and to take care of the patients admitted in the hospitals. The medicos argued that move would affect their career as they had to prepare for PG and other competitive exams