2,100 doctors to be recruited for COVID-19 management

They will be deployed in govt. medical college hospitals and attached institutions for 6 months

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) will recruit 2,100 medical officers on contract for six months for managing patients with COVID-19 in government medical college hospitals and attached institutions in the State. The doctors will be appointed on a consolidated pay of ₹60,000 a month.

The State government has sanctioned ₹75.6 crore for appointing the doctors, temporarily, to handle the COVID-19 exigency in medical college hospitals and attached institutions.

The recruitment is subject to the condition that candidates be made aware that the appointment is purely temporary as per the recent direction of the Madras High Court.

The recruitment, according to the DME, will not be conducted through any outsourcing agency, and should be done by a committee headed by a Collector/Dean and Joint Director. Heads of institutions should nominate the members of the committeefor recruitment of medical officers on contract basis.

“We have given the sanctioned number of doctors to the respective deans of medical college hospitals, and have told them to take up the process immediately,” R. Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education, said.

Accordingly, the 2,100 medical officers will be recruited to 48 institutions — government medical college hospitals, affiliated institutions and peripheral hospitals.

In Chennai, 75 medical officers each have been sanctioned for the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and the Government Corona Hospital in Guindy. The Government Medical College Hospital, Omandurar Estate, will get 70 doctors, while the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital has been sanctioned 60.

The Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital has been given the highest number of medical officers, at 90, followed by the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai with 80.

P. Saminathan, president of the Service Doctors’ and Post Graduates’ Association, said it was important to allot doctors to institutions under the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services. “Several government hospitals handle a significant number of patients with COVID-19 who need oxygen support. For instance, the Cuddalore Government Hospital manages at least 300 patients, of whom 40-60 are on oxygen support. Some of the 2,100 doctors sanctioned for DME institutions, at least 500, can be posted in DMS institutions to help manage the situation better,” he said.