The Tamil Nadu Health Department has started recovering security bond amounts from doctors who allegedly left government service after availing multiple service-linked benefits. The move comes amid growing concern over hundreds of doctors exiting public hospitals for private practice.
Officials said that in Tenkasi district, out of 10 doctors who had absconded from government hospitals in recent years, three have recently paid their bond dues. The remaining doctors are reportedly in the process of settling their payments. However, in Tirunelveli and other southern districts, none of the absconding doctors has cleared their bond amount so far.
According to reports, the doctors had availed structured incentives offered by the state to strengthen public healthcare delivery. These benefits included 50% reservation in postgraduate, super-specialty, or diploma seats, 30% incentive marks in NEET-PG, full monthly salary during the three-year course period, and three years of leave while retaining government seniority.
In return, the doctors had signed security bonds committing to serve in government health institutions for a specified period. Despite this undertaking, more than 500 doctors across Tamil Nadu have reportedly left government service to join private practice, raising concerns over manpower shortages in public hospitals.
The issue of non-recovery of bond amounts had been under scrutiny since 2023, with reports highlighting administrative delays in collecting dues. A list of nearly 200 absconding doctors was reportedly accessed through an RTI application after some health institutions declined to share information.
Health department sources revealed that among those who paid in Tenkasi are a senior assistant surgeon now running a large private hospital in the district, an assistant surgeon who allegedly set up a scan centre opposite the Government District Headquarters Hospital she left, and a civil surgeon operating a clinic in Sankarankovil. Two of them paid ₹20 lakh each, while another cleared ₹5 lakh. Show-cause notices are yet to be issued to two orthopaedic specialists.
While some doctors in the past had voluntarily paid their bond amounts to obtain departmental clearance, this is the first time the state has invoked the Revenue Recovery Act to enforce payment from absconding doctors.
The Health Department’s action signals stricter enforcement of service obligations and aims to ensure accountability among medical professionals who benefit from government-sponsored education and career incentives before leaving public service prematurely.
