33 medical super-speciality seats go vacant in Tamil Nadu

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A total of 33 super-speciality medical seats remained vacant at the end of a stray round of counselling conducted by the Tamil Nadu Selection Committee over the weekend for in-service candidates.

According to officials, 13 seats were newly allotted, and two seats upgraded during the counselling. Last week, the Selection Committee had published details of 43 vacant super-speciality seats, followed by a few virtual vacancies on its website. The stray round of counselling was held after the qualifying percentile for super-speciality courses was lowered to 30th percentile and nearly 40 unfilled seats were returned to the State after the second round of All India Quota (AIQ) counselling.

Going by the provisional list of seats allotted, among the vacant seats are 10 each in MCh Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery and 10 in MCh Paediatric Surgery.

Tamil Nadu reserves 50% of the super-speciality seats for service candidates. Government doctors said that after the State government surrendered 151 unfilled seats meant for in-service candidates for the second round of AIQ counselling, most of the much sought-after seats were taken.

M. Akilan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association said that 118 service candidates had applied and were waiting for the next round of counselling but the most-wanted seats were already taken by All India candidates. “The State government should take a policy decision and enact a law in the Assembly to fill all 219 super-speciality seats reserved for service candidates on their own. The Medical Counselling Committee and National Medical Commission should allow State governments to decide the eligibility criteria for the seats they hold for their in-service seats as it can be filled by a separate route of entry (as approved by courts),” he said.

With super-speciality seats falling vacant every year, a section of government doctors are in dismay. A senior doctor said this does not indicate that there were not enough eligible candidates but many of the preferred courses were no longer available. “The State government should file a writ petition in the Supreme Court or submit a representation of the Union government seeking a single standard eligibility criterion based on the qualifying percentile prescribed in the previous year, rather than lowering it subsequently. The same qualifying standard should be fixed and maintained from the beginning of the next academic year, which would help ensure that more seats are filled by service candidates,” he said.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, said that the issue of super-speciality seats going vacant will not be solved unless the root cause is addressed. “For almost 10 years, we have been demanding proper remuneration and timely promotions for government doctors. Super-speciality seats going vacant is happening year after year, and this, in the long run, will threaten the public healthcare system,” he said.

A senior doctor said that new super-speciality institutions were starting postgraduate courses. There was no point in increasing the number of seats without increasing the number of doctor posts.

“The State government could consider bringing in a sub-clause for Tamil Nadu domicile candidates for seats left vacant after counselling for service candidates are held. These candidates, on completion of course, could be recruited into the State medical service, after ensuring that the seniority of service candidates are protected. They should work till superannuation but the government should ensure proper payscale and promotional opportunities,” he said.

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