Covid-19: Tamil Nadu government deploys 130 willing doctors from districts in Chennai

CHENNAI: As the government doctors associations objected to the decision of diverting regular doctors from other districts to Chennai for Covid-19 duty, the Directorate of Medical Education, after looking for alternate steps so far, managed to divert around 130 doctors who expressed their willingness to work in Chennai earlier and were waiting for the posting.

Apart from that the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu branch also assured that they are ready to help the government come up with the list of private doctors who are willing to work in Chennai.  

Apart from that the DME also diverts doctors working in hospitals that come under Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) and Directorate of Public Health.

Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education said, "We are seeking help from all doctors who are willing to work in Chennai. So far, we managed to post around 130 doctors who were waiting for Chennai posting."

Narayana Babu also said that a fresh batch of House Surgeons are expected to join by the end of April or the first week of May. "Also Post Graduate medical students are there. We somehow can manage the situation," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Ramakrishnan, President, Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu branch said, "We have assured that we will definitely help. We will ask our members who all are willing to work in Chennai. We are also yet to know the terms and conditions of the appointment," he added.

The DME also instructed the hospitals to cut down on elective surgeries including cosmetic surgeries till the Covid situation becomes better. "We are giving priority only to emergency and life-saving surgeries as of now," Narayana Babu said.

The doctors also had said that unlike last year this year since there are no complete lockdown patients coming to Out-Patient units also increased and they are struggling to manage the situation.

Dr K Senthil, president of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association said, "We objected to only posting regular doctors to Chennai. The government can recruit the doctors on contract basis just for Covid duty and post them. Also, non-service post-graduate medical students also could have been encouraged to do Covid duty by reducing their two years bond period to one year if they do Covid duty. The government can also divert doctors from ESIC hospitals."

Dr Senthil said the cases are increasing in all the districts and government doctors have been continuously working on Covid duty since last year. Diverting the same doctors again to Chennai will further burden them.

The Federation of Government Doctors Association also expressed their displeasure over the government decision to divert doctors without fulfilling many of their demands including a long pending salary hike. Also, one month salary for doctors worked in Covid that was promised last year by the government.