CHENNAI: With their service ending on March 31, doctors of mini clinics across the State have started an online protest, demanding service regularisation and job security. They also said they are yet to receive their salaries for the past three months.
Using platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, they are sharing videos and posts of their work during the past two years (when the State was reeling under Covid-19) to draw the State government’s attention to the matter.
“We were on duty throughout the Covid waves, donning various roles in Covid ICUs, Covid care centres, fever wards, fever camps, swab collection camps, Covid vaccination, and Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam (MTM). We have been in public health services for the past 1.3 years,” one of the posts read.
Speaking to TNIE, the doctors of a mini clinic in Tiruvallur district said, “During the pandemic, we, sometimes, went without taking breaks. Though our salaries weren’t paid regularly, we gave our best.” According to them, of the 1,800 doctors recruited to the mini clinics, 150 cleared Medical Recruitment Board (MRB) exam in 2018 and were waiting for counselling.
These doctors want the government to at least regularise their service. “There has been no MRB recruitment in the last four years. So, we are not sure when that will happen. The health department officials told us they would provide incentive marks and prioritise us when MRB recruitment happens. There is, however, no guarantee for that as well,” said a doctor from Ramanathapuram district. The doctors want the government to absorb them into other schemes of the health department.
Health Minister Ma Subramanian, while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, had said the government would prepare a list of vacancies in government hospitals and recruit doctors through MRB. The health department is considering giving appreciation letters to the doctors for working during the pandemic and these letters would be considered during the selection. “We will try to support these doctors some way. There are almost no Covid cases in many hospitals, so the demand for more staff has come down,” Subramanian said.