TIRUNELVELI: Citing the RTI replies obtained from 28 districts, which revealed the names of 229 doctors ‘absconding’ from government service, Arappor Iyakkam – an anti-graft NGO – has sought action, including the suspension of their Tamil Nadu Medical Council registration and passport, against the medical professionals for violating service bonds.
Sources said that these doctors, who have absconded from service to venture into private sector, had benefited from the 50% reservation in PG, super-speciality or diploma seats, 30% NEET-PG incentive marks and a monthly salary during their three years of study apart from free education on taxpayers’ money after promising to serve in government institutions through security bonds.
Arappor Iyakkam member M Radhakrishnan, who obtained the names of 229 such doctors through RTI, told TNIE that TN government did not follow its own guidelines to recover service bond amounts from absconding doctors. He has sent a petition to the chief minister, health minister and health secretary demanding action.
According to the NGO, many doctors who pursued PG and diploma courses under the service quota have remained absent from duty for prolonged periods without permission or intimation.
“This has led to a shortage of doctors in government health institutions, affected specialised treatment services and reduced clinical exposure and academic guidance available to medical students. The RTI replies, obtained in the past six months, revealed that 229 doctors and medical professors were absent from duty for long periods, even up to 15 years,” he said.
He alleged that despite several circulars issued by the department in 2012, 2019 and 2022 prescribing action against these doctors, many of these were not implemented. “Chennai and Thanjavur alone accounted for 73 of the 229 doctors, while the top five districts accounted for 117 cases,” he added.