CHENNAI: Hours after urologist Dr Jaison Philip alleged that staff at the Government Royapettah Hospital demanded a bribe to process his transfer documents, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Sunday intervened and assured the doctor that the matter would be resolved strictly in accordance with official rules.

In a social media post on Saturday, Dr Philip stated that his Service Register (SR) had not been forwarded to his new posting at Madras Medical College (MMC) following his transfer on March 14, 2025. According to his complaint, a clerk and an office superintendent at Royapettah Hospital allegedly demanded Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000, respectively, to release the file.

“Clerk Malarvizhi is requesting a bribe of Rs 1,000, and the office superintendent, seated next to her, is demanding Rs 2,000 to send my SR to the new station. The OS even told me, ‘You can complain even to the Chief Minister, but I will not send the SR without the bribe,' Dr Philip wrote, tagging the Health Minister’s official handle.

The doctor further alleged that such incidents were not isolated. “Throughout my nearly three-decade service, I have been constantly harassed for bribes by corrupt clerks of the State Health Department. From my first posting in the 1990s until now, every transfer has involved demands for money to forward my SR,” he claimed.

Responding swiftly, Ma Subramanian personally called Dr Philip. The doctor said in a social media post that the minister spoke to him compassionately and assured him that all his legitimate grievances would be addressed.