Posted By :  Admin1

A group of doctors who passed the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) exam last year, meant to fill 1,021 assistant surgeon positions, are dismayed by the board's recent notification to fill 2,553 vacant posts without considering last year's qualified candidates. Instead of holding a fresh exam, they urge for the inclusion of those who passed last year. The MRB's new notification, issued on March 15, calls for applications for the 2,553 vacancies on a temporary basis in the Tamil Nadu Medical Service. Application submission will be open from April 24 to May 15, with the exam date to be announced later. The previous recruitment process for 1,021 posts faced significant delays, starting from the October 2022 notification to the completion of recruitments in February 2024. During this period, certain candidates who served in government hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic sought legal action to gain incentive marks, which were eventually granted. Some of the qualified candidates approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, seeking an increase in notified vacancies due to the incentive marks. The court, in its ruling on February 14, directed the Health department to consider their representation and make appropriate decisions within four weeks. Despite this, the March 15 notification for a new exam has sparked discontent among some doctors. They have submitted a representation to the Health department, requesting an increase in vacancies and prioritizing filling them from the pool of previously qualified candidates. A qualified candidate expressed concern over the MRB examination held in 2018, highlighting that despite a SC candidate scoring 63 marks, they were unable to secure a posting due to the introduction of incentive marks for COVID-19 work, potentially overlooking merit. They emphasized the importance of promptly filling vacancies in essential health services, especially given the prolonged vacancy period, which contradicts the MRB's purpose according to Government Order 1. RTI data from November 2023 revealed 1,752 vacant assistant surgeon positions, indicating the need to fill more than the initially advertised 1,021 posts, especially since not all of those were filled. Another doctor echoed this sentiment, suggesting that qualified candidates from the existing MRB list could be appointed to the remaining positions, rather than issuing a fresh notification. They noted the State government's failure to conduct the MRB exam for nearly five years, leaving many candidates in limbo, and called for the withdrawal of the new notification. However, an official stated that a comprehensive examination of all factors would only be possible after the elections.