Resident doctors' welfare bodies have alleged that there were irregularities in the recruitment of senior resident doctors at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, a charge dismissed by the hospital administration.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), that works for the welfare of resident doctors all over India, and the AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association have alleged that the hospital administration violated the norm of mandatory written examination in the recruitment procedure.
More than 500 resident doctors had applied for over 200 posts of senior resident doctors in different departments advertised by the hospital administration.
The AIIMS RDA has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a CBI inquiry into the matter to "eliminate the chronic disease of corruption which is paralysing health system of India".
The letter states that the recruitment was done at a short notice instead of giving at least 15 days time. It claims that the posts were advertised on September 4 and direct walk-in interviews were conducted on September 11.
In a letter addressed to the medical superintendent dated September 8, the Union health ministry had also asked the hospital to follow the process of written examination for the selection of senior resident doctors.
"The hospital should follow the method of written examination for the selection of senior residents. This is in line with the practice being followed in the selection of senior residents in Safdarjung as well as other central government hospitals in the past," the letter stated.
Dr A K Rai, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, however, dismissed the allegations saying written examination is not mandatory and there are no set guidelines for the recruitment process.
"Does FORDA have any proof for their allegations. The charges are baseless," he said.
FORDA President Dr Vivek Chouksey alleged that the hospital administration directly conducted interviews without holding the written exam.
The FORDA also alleged that the administration violated the 40-year age limit, set by the health ministry for recruitment of senior residents, by reducing it to 33 years.
"We demand that the health ministry conducts an inquiry into the matter. There is a huge corruption going on in the recruitment of senior resident doctors and assistant professors," Chouksey alleged.
"The Prime Minister has emphasised that recruitment of government employees should be through written examination and not direct interviews. However the Safdarjung hospital authorities violated it," he said.
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