New Indian Express: Tamilnadu: Friday, 5 September 2025.
According to state health
department sources, officials are yet to recover the security bond amount from
any of the doctors in Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts, who did not complete
the mandatory government service. Following multiple reports published by TNIE,
the department had initiated steps to recover the amount last year.
Through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, TNIE had obtained a list of around 200 absconding doctors only a portion of the total from different medical college hospitals across the state.
These doctors (Service PGs) had benefited from the 50% reservation in PG/diploma seats, 30% NEET-PG incentive marks, a hefty monthly salary during their three years of study, and three years of leave, after promising to serve in government institutions through a security bond.
However, many such doctors have allegedly absconded from government service in order to work at private hospitals or start their own. For violating the security bond, they must pay Rs 10 lakh-Rs 50 lakh, which was spent on their higher studies, to the state government.
As per sources, around 25 absconding doctors from the two districts are allegedly involved in private practice. For instance, a doctor from the Shengottai Government Hospital went on unauthorised absence in 2022, but began practising at a hospital owned by his family member in Tenkasi.
A woman radiologist, who absconded from government service, started a scan centre right in front of the government hospital where she had been working.
An official from the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) said, “Officials of both the health department and the district administrations have to jointly recover the bond money under the Revenue Recovery Act (RRA),” claiming that no interest has been shown in this regard.
The TNIE published multiple reports in 2023 and 2024 regarding the state government’s inaction to recover the bond money from absconding doctors. In December 2024, the DMS instructed the joint directors (JDs) of all districts to recover the security bond amount under the RRA from 95 absconding doctors.
When contacted, Tenkasi Collector A K Kamal Kishore told TNIE that the process to recover the bond amount has been going on. Tirunelveli Collector Dr R Sukumar said he would check the status and get back.
Medical Education and Research Director (in-charge) Dr E Theranirajan said, “We have started collecting the details of doctors who had absconded from the medical college hospitals across TN, including their whereabouts and contacts. After its completion, the recovery process will start.”
Through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, TNIE had obtained a list of around 200 absconding doctors only a portion of the total from different medical college hospitals across the state.
These doctors (Service PGs) had benefited from the 50% reservation in PG/diploma seats, 30% NEET-PG incentive marks, a hefty monthly salary during their three years of study, and three years of leave, after promising to serve in government institutions through a security bond.
However, many such doctors have allegedly absconded from government service in order to work at private hospitals or start their own. For violating the security bond, they must pay Rs 10 lakh-Rs 50 lakh, which was spent on their higher studies, to the state government.
As per sources, around 25 absconding doctors from the two districts are allegedly involved in private practice. For instance, a doctor from the Shengottai Government Hospital went on unauthorised absence in 2022, but began practising at a hospital owned by his family member in Tenkasi.
A woman radiologist, who absconded from government service, started a scan centre right in front of the government hospital where she had been working.
An official from the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) said, “Officials of both the health department and the district administrations have to jointly recover the bond money under the Revenue Recovery Act (RRA),” claiming that no interest has been shown in this regard.
The TNIE published multiple reports in 2023 and 2024 regarding the state government’s inaction to recover the bond money from absconding doctors. In December 2024, the DMS instructed the joint directors (JDs) of all districts to recover the security bond amount under the RRA from 95 absconding doctors.
When contacted, Tenkasi Collector A K Kamal Kishore told TNIE that the process to recover the bond amount has been going on. Tirunelveli Collector Dr R Sukumar said he would check the status and get back.
Medical Education and Research Director (in-charge) Dr E Theranirajan said, “We have started collecting the details of doctors who had absconded from the medical college hospitals across TN, including their whereabouts and contacts. After its completion, the recovery process will start.”
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