CHENNAI: The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has written to the deans of a few medical colleges asking them to collect bond amount of Rs 50 lakh from 112 non-service doctors for failing to take up posts in government hospitals.
The doctors had completed higher speciality courses in 2020 and 2021 but had chosen not to take up government service during the recently concluded online transfer counselling. As per norms, non-service doctors are required to work in government hospitals for two years, failing which, they have to pay a bond amount agreed upon during their admission to courses.
“They have failed to take up their postings available in their speciality department in government medical colleges,” said the letter. It added that doctors were reluctant and unwilling to work in the TN Medical Services. The DME has directed the respective deans to issue a show cause notice first. “Initiate action against the non-service post graduates, higher speciality, for violating bond condition and recover the bond amount under the Revenue Recovery Act without fail,” the letter said.
The DME also directed the deans to send an action-taken report in this regard to its office on or before August 31. The State had been conducting counselling to fill super speciality seats until 2017, before NEE T was introduced. Soon, the State quota was cancelled and all super speciality seats are now filled by the Centre’s Directorate General of Health Service under the All India Quota.
‘We have reduced bond amount to Rs 50 lakh’
Speaking to Express, Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education, said, “Till last year the bond amount was Rs 2 crore but we have reduced it to Rs 50 lakh. During the counselling held on July 30 this year, these doctors opted out even though there were vacancies.
They should at least serve during the Covid period. Ever since the super speciality seats started being filled under the AIQ, the number of candidates from the State getting seats in these courses has reduced.” It may be noted that the Madras High Court, on October 6, 2020, had ordered that postgraduate medical students, admitted under the AIQ, have to compulsorily serve the State government for a period of two years. The bench passed the order on a batch of pleas by setting aside a 2018 single-judge order that quashed the condition for compulsory government service.
Compulsory service
The Madras HC, on October 6, 2020, had ordered that PG medical students, admitted under the AIQ, have to compulsorily serve the State for a period of two years “The State spends money, not on gambling with unqualified people, but on those who are best suited for the job. The idea of compelling postgraduates to
serve State hospitals is neither unjust nor against the students,” the bench had observed.