Tamil Nadu Plans Four Regional Medical Education Directorates in Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Madurai

The Tamil Nadu government has proposed establishing four regional directorates under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME&R) at government medical colleges in Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Madurai. The proposal also includes a dedicated director-level post to coordinate medical research activities across the state.

The initiative aims to decentralise administration and improve coordination as Tamil Nadu`s network of government medical colleges expands.

Four Regional Offices Proposed

Under the proposed administrative arrangement, regional directors would be based at the following government medical colleges:

Chengalpattu: Government Chengalpattu Medical College

Coimbatore: Coimbatore Medical College

Tiruchy: KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College

Madurai: Madurai Medical College

An additional director-level position dedicated to research activities is proposed at the DME&R headquarters in Chennai.

Government Medical College Network Expands

The proposal follows a meeting chaired by the Health Secretary on September 8. Tamil Nadu now has 36 government medical colleges, increasing the administrative responsibilities of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research.

The proposed regional offices are intended to distribute administrative responsibilities more efficiently and improve coordination among medical colleges across different parts of the state.

Doctors` Associations Raise Administrative Concerns

The proposal comes amid objections from doctors` associations to changes in the department`s administrative structure. A separate proposal to appoint an IAS officer to head the medical education directorate was put on hold following opposition from doctors` associations.

Meanwhile, service postgraduate doctors have raised concerns about temporary postings issued without counselling.

Space and Infrastructure Requirements

The directorate has asked the deans of the four selected medical colleges to identify between 800 and 1,200 square feet of vacant space within existing college or hospital buildings for the proposed regional offices and support staff.

Detailed cost estimates have also been requested for renovation and infrastructure requirements, including civil and electrical work, furniture, air-conditioning systems, computers and printers.

The expenditure for each regional office must not exceed ₹50 lakh.

Dedicated Research Director to Improve Coordination

The proposed research director-level post at the Chennai headquarters is intended to strengthen coordination of r research activities across government medical colleges.

If implemented, the regional directorates could help decentralise administration, while the dedicated research position could support greater coordination of medical research throughout Tamil Nadu.