Chennai, Jan 28 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) has urged the state government not to recruit doctors on a contract basis.

Association general secretary Dr. G.S. Raveendranath in a statement said that the government must withdraw its decision to recruit doctors, nurses, dentists, dental technicians, medical technicians, and others through contract basis.

The general secretary said that recruitment of medical professionals on a contract basis through the District Health Societies should be dropped.

He also pointed out that in 2005, doctors were recruited on a contract basis at a consolidated salary of Rs 8,000 per month and added that the DASE relentlessly conducted campaign against this.

Dr. Raveendranath stated that in 2006 when the DMK government under M. Karunanidhi assumed office, it regularised the services of these doctors following continuous demands on the part of the doctors association.

The DASE general secretary said that the DMK in the past had not made such recruitments and that the present decision to recruit doctors on a contract basis through District Health Societies was against its policy.

He said that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical lab technicians, and other medical professionals must be recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board after conducting examinations.

He also said that recruitment should not be done on the basis of the weightage of marks and interviews as it would lead to irregularities.