The Federation of Government Doctors’ Association (FOGDA) has opposed the appointment of retired government doctors to top posts, arguing that it hampers the promotion prospects of senior in-service doctors.
In a press release issued on Friday, the FOGDA condemned the Health Department’s decision to grant a second extension to a retired government doctor heading a government hospital in Chennai.
Such decisions would take away the promotion opportunities of senior government doctors, the federation said.
It added that appointing retired doctors on a contractual basis allowed them to draw both a pension and a salary, leading to financial burden on the government.
‘Wrong precedent’
Extending the services of doctors who retire from government service will set a wrong precedent, the FOGDA said, urging the Chief Minister to immediately intervene and cancel the appointment order.
A senior government doctor pointed out that while promotions and transfers of professors and deans had been delayed for years due to pending court cases, extensions of service beyond the age of 60 or 61 were being granted quickly.
Repeated opposition
As a sign of opposition, a few members of the FOGDA staged a protest outside the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Guindy on Friday. Last year too, a number of government doctors’ associations objected to the department’s decision to re-employ/extend the services of a few doctors who retired from government service.
Published – June 14, 2025 12:55 am IST