Days after the Health department stated that disciplinary action had been initiated against 1,420 government doctors who did not rejoin duty after postgraduation, the Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) demanded the State government not portray these doctors as “criminals” and “anti-socials”. Instead, the underlying reasons, including continuous 24-hour duties and low salaries, should be addressed.G. R. Ravindranath, general secretary, DASE, said that these doctors who pursue postgraduation on service quota enter into an agreement with the government to continue in government service till retirement. As per rule, they have to pay Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh if they violate the bond. Those who left service without paying the bond amount - unauthorised absenteeism - have become a topic of debate and are being socially stigmatised.The question should be why these government doctors left service. Outlining a number of reasons, he said that many hospitals lack sufficient doctors to match patient loads. Specialists such as obstetricians are often required to work continuous 24-hour shifts every second or third day, causing them physical and mental exhaustion.Government doctors have demanded that pay band 4 be granted after completing 12 years of service and that the old pension scheme be restored. They have raised demands to create new posts of doctors and make permanent appointments. These demands remain unaddressed for over eight years.DASE pointed out that under the Central government, doctors who pursue postgraduate medical education, while receiving a government salary are required to serve only five years after completing their studies. They are also permitted to opt for voluntary retirement. In contrast, Tamil Nadu requires doctors to remain in service until retirement, refuses voluntary retirement and pays comparatively lower salaries.The association demanded that doctors who have completed 20 to 25 years of government service should be given the right to opt for voluntary retirement.The association said that the government has been taking action against doctors who did not rejoin service under the Revenue Recovery Act. Doctors hailing from affluent families are able to pay the amount, while those from economically weaker and socially marginalised communities, especially first-generation doctors, face hardships. Many are unable to complete the formal resignation process and remain on unauthorised absence. The association urged that their cases should be examined with compassion and understanding. Portraying them as criminals or anti-social elements is strongly condemned.It noted that some doctors earn high incomes through private practice. In such cases, if the doctors fail to report for duty continuously, the government should terminate their services and appoint new doctors to those vacancies. However, plans to cancel the medical registration of all doctors who leave government service, preventing them from practicing medicine, cancelling their passports and publishing their photographs to publicly shame them are authoritarian and reflect a failure to understand the underlying social and economic issues, it said.DASE urged the State government to withdraw its proposal to establish a Health Foundation with an objective of privatising health services. Published - June 30, 2026 05:30 am IST