THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is alleged that the government has flouted rules and regulations in the transfer of doctors as deserving candidates were sidelined in the process of promotions and interdepartmental transfers.
A bunch of doctors have come out against the illegal promotion of a doctor, who got interdepartmental transfer to the plastic surgery department in Thiruvananthapuram Medical college recently, to the post of associate professor. It is alleged that four of the senior doctors in the plastic surgery department were superseded in the seniority list to promote the controversial doctor to the post of associate professor. It should be noted that the doctor found a place in the seniority list, just a year after he got interdepartmental transfer from the general surgery department to the plastic surgery department.
The transfer itself is said to be against the rules. As per the rules, no interdepartmental transfer is allowed if the PSC list is exclusively prepared for a particular department. And even if interdepartmental transfers are given, he or she should be junior to the junior-most in the new department and should not disturb the seniority of others.
Apart from the alleged illegal promotion, the transfer of the doctor from the general surgery to the plastic surgery is being questioned and alleged to be against the existing rules. The doctor was promoted and posted at Thiruvananthapuram by shifting the post of associate professor in the plastic surgery department at Thrissur Medical College to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.It should be noted that the government had in the past rejected interdepartmental transfer of about four doctors, stating that transfers of candidates appointed from the list exclusively prepared for a particular department to other departments is not allowed. The government had said that the transfer was affected as there was shortage of doctors in plastic surgery department. However, as per the records, there was no reported vacancy at that time of the transfer.
When contacted, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association state president Dr K Mohanan said that promotions and interdepartmental transfers should be done only on the basis of the existing rules. The promotion and transfer should be looked into as per rules, he added.
Even his deputation for studying at the MCH in plastic surgery has raised many questions. As per the rules, deputation to undergo higher education by a physician is restricted only once in the entire service. But the said doctor had already got his first deputation for studying MS. However, the government had permitted the doctor a second deputation by invoking special rules.
It is alleged that four of the senior doctors in the plastic surgery department were superseded in the seniority list to promote the controversial doctor to the post of associate professor