CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Health Department has appointed a new director to head the vital Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Dr TS Selvavinayagam, director of the Institute of Community Medicine at Madras Medical College, has been made Director of Public Health in the cadre of Additional Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. In a curious move, the department has also appointed two other senior officers as Directors of Public Health. This is the first time the Directorate of Public Health will have three directors.
The move follows the retirement of Dr K Kolandaswamy, who had headed the department, on April 30 and comes even as the State struggles to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 ahead of an easing of the nationwide lockdown.
Interestingly, the State had earlier issued orders stating that all doctors in government service retiring on April 30 would be given an extension for two months on a contract basis. Health department officials maintained that Dr Kolandaswamy would be reappointed as a special officer till help the State tide over the current crisis. But, till late Sunday evening, no such orders were issued. Two other senior-most additional directors of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr K Sadasivam and Dr K Vanaja, also retired on April 30.
Dr Selvavinayagam was additional director of the erstwhile Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project and was handling Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) and Non-Communicable Disease Control (NCD) Programme. He played a key role in the design of the insurance programme.
However, the Health Department’s decision to appoint two senior-most additional directors of Public Health -- Dr P Vadivelan and Dr N Chitra -- as officers on special duty in the cadre of Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has raised eyebrows.
According to a Health department Government Order dated May 1, " The Government has further examined the eligibility of Dr N Chitra and Dr P Vadivelan, Additional Directors of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and both are eligible to hold the post of Director of Public health and Preventive Medicine."
"The Government accordingly does and hereby directs that Dr N Chitra and Dr P Vadivelan be appointed as officers on special duty in the cadre of Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine."
Five additional directors of Public Health were listed for selection to replace Dr Kolandaswamy: Dr Selvavinayagam, Dr Chitra, Dr Vadivelan, Dr K Sadasivam and Dr K Vanaja. With the last two retiring on April 30, the government-appointed Dr Selvavinayagam, who retires on July 31, 2023, as director for 2020-2021. Dr Chitra is due to retire on May 31, 2021, and Dr P Vadivelan is due to retire on June 30, 2022.