Tamil Nadu Doctors Struggle with Poor Facilities on VIP Convoy Duty
January 10, 2026
Government doctors in Tamil Nadu face many problems during VIP and VVIP convoy and camp duties. They are responsible for medical readiness during movements of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors, and Chief Ministers. But poor logistical support makes their work hard.
Doctors, including specialists, are assigned to follow VIP convoys in ambulances or official vehicles. They provide emergency medical support like resuscitation and airway management. Usually, teams have two doctors, one nurse, and one nursing assistant.
However, proper arrangements are missing. In one case, the medical team had to sleep on the floor without proper bedding. "Doctors are assigned on a rotational basis. We have no issue with the duty, but basic facilities are lacking," said A. Ramalingam, secretary of Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association.
A big problem is the vehicles. Although a 2018 order requires multi-utility vehicles for convoy duties, doctors still travel in 108 ambulances. "Ambulances are slow and we reach the destination late," said a doctor who wished to stay anonymous. Also, poor coordination exists when Centre VIPs come with their own medical teams.
Camp duties at government events are no easier. Doctors complain of unclear duty timings, long hours, and no coordination among police, revenue, and health departments. "We spent over 12 hours waiting due to VIP timing changes," said another doctor. Women staff especially face hardships.
Dr. Ramalingam suggested the Health Department create special mobile medical teams for convoy and camp duties instead of using medical college staff.
These issues highlight the need for better support to doctors on critical VIP and event duties in Tamil Nadu.
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Tags:
Government Doctors
Vip Convoy
Tamil nadu
Medical Readiness
Logistics Issues
Camp Duty
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