The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Direct recruitment of specialists for highway trauma care units under study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Direct recruitment of specialists for highway trauma care units under study

Staff Reporter

Plan is to offer them salary and perks on par with the private sector

HOSPITAL VISIT: Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran interacting with women at the maternity ward of the Chromepet GH on Thursday. Labour Welfare Minister T.M. Anbarasan is also seen. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

KANCHEEPURAM: The State Health Department is pursuing a proposal to employ specialists in orthopaedics, anaesthesia and general medicine , for the accident trauma care units on the National Highways and other major State roads.

The doctors would be posted at 40 or 50 of the centres to be identified along heavy traffic corridors, where accident victims needed advanced medical assistance within the `golden hour.'

On an average over 10,000 people are killed in road accidents annually. Certain stretches of National Highway in Kancheepuram and Perambalur districts were accident-prone, official sources said.

It has been proposed to select the specialists directly, instead of following the regular pattern of selection to government services, and offer them salary and perks on a par with the private sector , they also added.

The Health Department also intends utilising the `good rapport' the State enjoys with the Centre to convert as many maternity centres as possible into `upgraded' primary health centres. An `upgraded' PHC would have 30 beds, an X-ray unit, ultra-sonogram and laboratory.

Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran visited the government hospitals at Sriperumpudur and Chromepet and the maternity centre at Kundrathur on Thursday with Labour Welfare Minister T.M.Anbarasan.

Upgrading services

He discussed the possibilities of upgrading the services offered to the patients at these hospitals.

Talking to reporters at the Chromepet Hospital, Mr. Ramachandran said a new trauma care unit would be set up at Sriperumpudur and the maternity centre at Kundrathur would be upgraded to a public health centre.

At the Chromepet hospital, construction of an accident-cum-emergency ward building would be expedited and two ambulances would be purchased.

On the poor and dilapidated condition of the accommodation offered to the doctors and paramedical staff in the PHCs, particularly the 24-hour ones in rural areas, he said it would be rectified.

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