Vacancies in Key Medical College Posts Hamper Administration in Tamil Nadu

Key leadership and administrative positions across Tamil Nadu government medical college hospitals, including the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children in Egmore, remain vacant or are being run under additional-charge arrangements, according to government doctors. Medical personnel report that the reliance on temporary arrangements is impeding administrative functioning and affecting timely decision-making concerning patient care.

The post of director at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children in Egmore has been held on an additional charge basis for almost a year. Similar vacancies or interim appointments are present across several other major institutions in the State. At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), directorships in the institutes of internal medicine, orthopaedics, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery are vacant or held as additional charges.

Other affected positions include the head of surgical gastroenterology at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital (SMCH), paediatrics at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, and dean posts at medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Coimbatore ESI, and Tiruvannamalai.

The issue extends to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME), which oversees 38 medical colleges and their affiliated institutions across Tamil Nadu. The post of DME is currently being held on additional charge, while the post of Additional DME remains vacant. A senior doctor noted that these two key positions are under interim arrangements at a time when MBBS counselling and court proceedings concerning super speciality courses are under way.

A. Ramalingam, general secretary of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, pointed out that the DME oversees a growing number of undergraduate, postgraduate, and allied health science seats, yet regular appointments have not been made. He stated that the continued use of Full Additional Charge arrangements undermines the authority and effectiveness of the director's post. He also warned that prolonged vacancies in cardiothoracic surgery at RGGGH and surgical gastroenterology at SMCH could weaken transplant services.

Doctors added that administrative decision-making slows down under interim arrangements, creating cascading delays in promotions for professors and associate professors and affecting payband-4 compression. Dr. Ramalingam recommended that an eligibility panel be prepared by March 15 each year to identify candidates in advance. A government official stated that the process to fill the posts is under way.