The state has temporarily posted medical postgraduates to hospitals without vacancy counselling or adherence to seniority lists. Officials said the orders were issued to ensure salary payments until regular counselling is held.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research issued the temporary orders on October 5. They cover nearly 800 doctors who completed MD or MS courses and assign them to government medical college hospitals, as well as institutions under the medical and rural health services and public health directorates. Some postings did not specify an institution or position. The communication said transfer counselling would be held later and advance notice would be given.
Doctors told The Hindu that in recent years the authorities had published vacancy lists in advance and held open counselling based on seniority in the Civil Medical List, or CML. They said some junior doctors had now received posts in medical education institutions while more senior colleagues were posted to other services. Health officials said the assignments were temporary and intended only to facilitate salary payments.
Doctors are concerned that subsequent transfers could further delay pay. They said a first salary at a new posting usually takes four to five months. One doctor warned that after a transfer, payments might take about 10 months to stabilize. The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association said the lack of seniority could complicate future promotions and appointments as associate professors.
Some doctors recalled a similar situation in 2019. They said it took nearly three years to place the postgraduates according to CML seniority. The association wants even temporary postings to be made through counselling. Its president, P. Saminathan, said the issue affected about 800 doctors, not just 10 or 15.
The Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association also warned of possible effects on teaching and staffing at medical colleges. The 2026 NEET-PG counselling process has begun, while a full batch of service postgraduates remains unassigned, it said. Directorate officials said the temporary arrangement would last a month or two until regular counselling after assistant-professor transfer counselling.