CHENNAI: Thousands of doctors remain without work as NEET PG 2025 counselling for all-India quota seats has been indefinitely delayed. Meanwhile, hospitals, including state-run medical colleges across the country, which engage PG students as workforce, will remain short-staffed as students haven’t joined these hospitals. On Nov 6, more than three months after completing the entrance test and hours before students could submit their application for the counselling, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under Directorate General of Health Services, said the competent authority has decided to extend the choice-filling of Round 1 of PG counselling 2025 until further notice. The committee said the seat matrix was being revised as the apex regulatory body, National Medical Commission, was adding more PG seats, and the National Board of Examinations (NBE) withdrew 169 PG DNB seats after the start of counselling. Candidates across the country accused the NMC, NBE, and MCC of mismanagement. “They had a whole year to give colleges permission to start new courses or add seats. Why would they do this at the last minute? We got results on Aug 19 and have been waiting for admission,” said Dr S Sathish Kumar, awaiting admission. Sathish and many of his friends quit their jobs to prepare for the entrance exam. In most hospitals, PG students are part of the workforce. “They take on the main burden in speciality units. Their absence will be felt,” said Dr A Ramalingam of Service and PG Doctors Association.