Several anomalies in recruitment of medical officers: Junior Doctors Association

Hyderabad: Telangana Junior Doctors Association submitted a memorandum on Tuesday to the TS Principal Secretary for Health, Medical & Family Welfare and to the Directorate of Public Health stating the irregularities and discrepancies in filling the posts of medical officers in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) under Directorate of public Health.

The notification for medical officer posts in PHCs was released for 521 posts under notification number 01/2017. The selection of the officers was done under two phases. In first phase, 457 posts were filled, and in the second phase, 64 posts were filled. Now, the candidates allege that they strongly suspect irregularities in both the first and second phases.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr PS Vijayender, chairman at Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) said some contract doctors bribed DMHO's, deputy DMHO's and higher officials at Director of Health (DH) to get false certificates of service. Subsequently, they got weightage for the contract and secured jobs, he said.

Vijayender said that the second list of selected candidates is also not displayed on the official website and that orders were sent to the personal mails of selected candidates on February 19, with the date of February 12, duly signed by the Director of Health.

TJUDA also alleged that there is a mismatch between the merit list and who were selected. There is also an allegation in the first phase of selection. After the first list of selected candidates, some candidates protested for not getting jobs, in spite of having merit. Later, they were recruited without terminating the candidates who were already selected.

TJUDA has strong suspicion that reservation rules were also not obeyed during the selection process. Some aspirants approached TJUDA to help them on the same by representing the same to the higher officials of Health.

TJUDA members submitted a memo to the Telangana State Principal Secretary for Health, Medical and Family Welfare and to the Directorate of Health in which they stated there were discrepancies in recruitment and urged the top officials to look into the matter and do justice to the worthy candidates. TJUDA is also about to file a case in the High Court of Telangana.