Government doctors have raised concerns on a recent directive of the Health Department restricting doctors posted at a new station for less than a year from attending transfer counselling.
The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA) has been making mass representations to health officials, and deans of government medical colleges against the new norm that disallows doctors with less than one year service in their present working station from taking part in the counselling.
In Chennai, a team of doctors, including TNGDA’s Chennai District president Alwyn Vijay, secretary Balamanikandan and joint secretary Yogesh, gave the representations of about 80 doctors to the dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), and posted their representations to the Health Minister and Health Secretary.
TNGDA said that senior doctors would be affected if the one-year rule was implemented. Those already promoted will lose vacancies to junior doctors, who are newly promoted. The association requested the Health Department to hold the promotion and transfer counselling in March every year, and allow medical officers to join the new station on April 1.
Promotions delayed
The association said, this has been their request for the last 15 years but promotions were delayed by 18 to 24 months, depriving their rights for the same. They demanded a fixed schedule for annual promotions and transfers.
K. Senthil, State president of TNGDA, said that the insistence on one-year service in the working station was of no advantage to the department. There are delays in conducting regular promotions and transfers.
“In fact, associate professor promotions that were due in March 2024 have still not happened,” he said.
Published – August 15, 2025 12:59 am IST
