Latest news with #LegalCoordinationCommitteeforGovernmentDoctors
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
T.N. doctors flag staffing, infrastructure gaps at new government hospitals
The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has flagged critical shortages and operational gaps in key healthcare facilities in Tamil Nadu, warning that the absence of timely intervention could erode public trust in the State's healthcare infrastructure. LCC president S. Perumal Pillai, in a detailed appeal, raised concerns about serious understaffing and the lack of essential medical equipment at the National Center for Ageing in Guindy, which was inaugurated over 16 months ago. Of the 24 sanctioned posts in the geriatrics department, only 15 doctors are on duty. The hospital, which shows 56 nurses on its roster, actually functions with only 30 regular staff, many of whom are either on deputation from other government hospitals or working under temporary contracts. While the facility houses four fully constructed operation theatres, no surgeries have been performed in key departments such as ENT, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and urology due to the absence of surgical equipment and anaesthesia services. Dental chairs too remain uninstalled, leaving that unit non-functional. The situation in Salem's Ammapettai Government Hospital is equally troubling, the LCC pointed out. Built at a cost of ₹42 crore, the 100-bed facility was launched to expand suburban healthcare access. However, no permanent doctors have been appointed so far, prompting the State to rely entirely on deputations from the Salem Government Medical College. Eight doctors and several nurses now divide their time between the institutions, putting pressure on both facilities. Surgeries and deliveries are being carried out with existing staff, but the LCC contended that long-term sustainability is uncertain without formal appointments. In Tirunelveli, the Ramasamy Memorial Government Hospital at Kandiapperi, constructed with Japanese aid at a total cost of ₹39 crore, faces a similar operational strain. Though outpatient footfall remains high, inpatient admissions are low due to public hesitation stemming from the lack of dedicated medical personnel. Currently, 25 doctors and 45 nurses are rotated in from Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, leaving both institutions overburdened and raising concerns about the quality and consistency of care. The LCC has linked these systemic issues to broader concerns over government policy. While acknowledging the administration's efforts to expand healthcare access, the committee pointed to the absence of proper staffing, delayed salary payments, and the lack of permanent recruitment as undermining the intent behind these projects. With a protest march from Mettur to Chennai slated to begin on June 11, the LCC has demanded the immediate appointment of doctors and support staff in all these hospitals, adequate provision of essential medical equipment, and implementation of pay band four for government doctors within 12 years, as per Government Order 354.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
TN doctors urge WHO to intervene on staffing and pay disparities
The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC), a Tamil Nadu-based organisation, has appealed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to intervene and urge the State government to address persistent issues of staff shortages and salary disparities affecting government doctors. In a letter to Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, the WHO Representative to India, LCC president Perumal Pillai acknowledged Tamil Nadu's notable achievements in public healthcare, particularly in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates - milestones that align with WHO's Sustainable Development Goals. The State, with a population exceeding 80 million, has already achieved a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 39 per one lakh live births - a target the WHO set for 2030, attained by Tamil Nadu a decade early. The representation also noted the State's advances in rural healthcare delivery and non-communicable disease management. However, the LCC president highlighted that these successes have come at a heavy cost to the medical personnel who made them possible. The organisation expressed alarm over inadequate recruitment in public hospitals, resulting in overburdened doctors and strained healthcare delivery. "This crisis impacts not only doctors but also the general public," the letter stated. The LCC pointed out that government doctors in Tamil Nadu receive some of the lowest salaries in the country. It cited a pay gap of nearly Rs 40,000 between MBBS doctors in Tamil Nadu and their counterparts in other States. Despite recommendations from the National Medical Commission to ensure parity with doctors in central institutions such as AIIMS, and a Tamil Nadu High Court directive upholding Government Order 354, which mandates salary revisions, the State government has failed to implement the necessary changes, the organisation alleged. Of further concern, the LCC claimed that government doctors in Tamil Nadu face one of the highest early mortality rates in the country. While the average life expectancy of the general population is estimated between 69 and 72 years, the life expectancy of government doctors reportedly ranges between 55 and 59 years. Citing these concerns, the LCC urged the WHO to impress upon the Tamil Nadu government the urgent need to address staffing shortfalls and enforce fair pay structures as per national guidelines and existing legal orders.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu government doctors seek WHO intervention on staffing and pay disparities
The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC), an organisation based in Tamil Nadu, has urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to intervene and impress upon the government of Tamil Nadu to immediately address longstanding grievances concerning staffing shortages and salary disparities among government doctors in the State. In a representation addressed to Roderico H. Ofrin, the WHO representative in India, Perumal Pillai, president of the LCC, drew attention to Tamil Nadu's commendable achievements in the public health sector, many of which aligned with WHO-recommended frameworks and goals. Tamil Nadu, with a population of over 80 million, has been at the forefront of reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) currently stands at 39 per one lakh live births, a target set by the WHO for 2030— achieved by the State a full decade in advance. The representation said Tamil Nadu has also taken notable strides in strengthening rural health services and managing non-communicable diseases. However, these advancements, it contended, have come at a high cost to the doctors who made them possible. The organisation expressed concern over the lack of proportional recruitment in government hospitals - with existing medical personnel being overburdened. 'Not only doctors, but the public are also affected by this crisis,' the letter said. Government doctors in Tamil Nadu, according to the LCC, are paid among the lowest salaries in the country. It cited a disparity of ₹40,000 between salaries of MBBS doctors in Tamil Nadu and those in other States. Despite recommendations by the National Medical Commission that State government doctors be paid on a par with those at central institutions such as AIIMS, and a directive from the High Court upholding Government Order 354— which mandates salary revisions— the State government failed to act, the organisation alleged. It claimed government doctors in Tamil Nadu face the highest mortality at a young age among states in India. While the average life expectancy of the general public in Tamil Nadu is 69–72 years, that of government doctors ranges between 55–59, the letter claimed. Citing these concerns, it requested the WHO to urge the government to ensure appropriate staffing in hospitals and implement salary parity in accordance with the relevant government orders and national recommendations.
