The stay was granted in July when four full-time doctors at JJ moved MAT asking why they had not been considered for interviews. The state government had earlier advertised for the post of honorary doctors in various specialities, and government doctors were permitted to apply for these posts, sources said. Several government doctors who met the criteria of qualification, experience and degree had sent in their applications. However, the government doctors were allegedly bypassed at the interview stage by less qualified and experienced doctors. Four ofthe doctors then filed a petition in the MAT.

The government is using the pretext of the resident doctors' strike to appoint honorary doctors, who will not be of much help in running the hospital at this stage, Bansal added. Honorary doctors are part-time doctors who cannot stay in the hospital for more than a few hours because of their private practice. Rather, what is needed is more full-time doctors in various departments. ``Honorary doctors are meant for providing supervision and guidance on the latest medical techniques which they acquire from their experience,'' he pointed out. The petitioners will file a notice to this effect in the MAT, Dr Bansal added.

The State Director of Medical Education and Research, Dr V L Deshpande, could not explain how Dr Kulkarni had been appointed even as the stay by MAT on the appointment of honoraries was in effect. He admitted that as per the stay order, no honoraries could be appointed at JJ, but added that they were trying to get the stay vacated. However, thegovernment is going ahead with appointing honorary doctors in other medical colleges of the state, he added.