Govt docs want DME to be replaced by a senior doctor

Tirupati: Government doctors intensified their efforts to replace the director of medical education (DME) with a senior doctor in place of the present bureaucrat. They were up in the arms against the government decision when he was appointed in September 2022. But the government did not heed to their appeals and continuing the bureaucrat in the same position. The government Doctors' Association (GDA) met the minister for Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy on Friday and submitted a representation.

It was learnt that the leaders of the GDA have been meeting ministers and other public representatives at various places to muster support for their demand. The government has issued orders in September appointing a bureaucrat Dr V Vinod Kumar as DME with full additional charge until further orders. It issued GO 1871 on September 8, 2022 to this effect.

But the doctors were saying that it was a clear violation of the AP Medical Education Service Rules 2002 which clearly made it clear that only a senior doctor in the cadre of additional DME with two years' experience be made DME. Despite the objections of the GDA, the government has been continuing Dr Vinod Kumar as DME even today.

However, the doctors were saying that they are subjected to serious humiliation from the DME regularly who has been making derogatory comments and demoralising them. It has become a regular affair and the principals of teaching hospitals and superintendents of government teaching hospitals who are seniors were also not spared.

"We too have some self-dignity and government servants. Both the DME as well as the doctors and any other government employee have been working for the government only and each one has their own duties. One cannot harass and make derogatory comments on others," opined a senior doctor.

The doctors were of the view that the ground level realities are not considered before making adverse comments. If any one or two doctors are errant they may be issued notices and reply is sought but treating everyone like that is highly objectionable. Government doctors will have teaching duties apart from hospital duties and have been working for the past 20-30 years but never faced such an insulting attitude.

Against this backdrop, Tirupati GDA president Dr S Subba Rao, Dr Srikanth Reddy, Dr Sadhana, Dr Ravi Sankar and others have met the minister Ramachandra Reddy in Tirupati on Friday and submitted a representation to him stating that only a senior doctor has to be made DME as per the guidelines of National Medical Commission. They explained the administrative problems being faced now.