‘Recover bond amount from docs who absconded from govt service’
TENKASI: The Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) has urged the Joint Directors (JDs) of Health in all districts to take steps on a war footing to recover the bond amount from the doctors who absconded from government services after availing themselves of the 50% state government quota and incentive marks to join postgraduate (PG) courses and received a hefty monthly salary while pursuing the course.
A team of government doctors on whose petition the action was initiated, said about 700 doctors have decamped from government services in the past two decades, causing a loss of more than `100 crore to the state exchequer. In her recent circular, DMS Director A Shanmugakani instructed the JDs to provide special attention to the recovery process and submit a report as soon as possible since the petition was referred from the Chief Minister’s Special Cell. She added that based on the security bond they executed with the state government, the doctors of the state-run health institutions, who secured government benefits, should work in government service till their retirement.
“If they fail to do so, they should pay the government the amount of money mentioned in the security bond along with interest. The JDs should take steps to recover the bond amount from the doctors, who are absent from government service without authorisation. Money should also be recovered from such absentees, who have been removed from service. A show cause notice should be issued to the doctors, who fail to pay bond money within 15 days,” the circular read.
When contacted by TNIE, Shanmugakani said the DMS and other directorates would send the details of the errant doctors to the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH), which is the appointing authority for such doctors. “The DPH will initiate the recovery of money under provisions of the Revenue Recovery Act,” she added.
Speaking to TNIE, one of the petitioners who sought anonymity, demanded that the Tamil Nadu Medical Council immediately suspend the registration of absconding doctors who betrayed the state government which offered them higher education using taxpayers’ money. “Apart from the 50% quota, the MBBS graduates working at primary health centres are given a maximum of 30% incentive marks. The government pays them the entire salary (nearly Rs 90,000), even after they become in-service PG students. All these benefits are offered to them only after they sign the security bond promising that they would serve in state government institutions till their retirement. However, after getting free education, a section of such doctors betrays the government,” he said.
A health official said the doctors who are absent for long without authorisation are successfully running their own clinics or hospitals without pangs of guilt. “For instance, a doctor at Shengottai GH, who completed PG under the government quota stopped serving in the GH some months ago. He is now running a hospital that was founded by his father.
He is now openly posing for his hospital advertisements and telecasting the same on local TV channels. Despite the officials’ request, he refused to pay the bond money to the government. More than 30 such doctors left government service without authorisation in the four down-south districts alone and are now full-time private practitioners. They each have to pay the government amounts ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh,” the official said.
Should remain in govt service till retirement
DMS Director A Shanmugakani says based on the security bond they executed with the state government, the doctors of the state-run health institutions, who secured government benefits, should work in government service till their retirement