THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Minister for Health P.K. Sreemathy said the duty hours of doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) would not draw to a close by lunchtime and that they should work in the afternoon.

She was presiding over the Nurses' Day celebrations here on Saturday.

Ms. Sreemathy said the PHCs should function in the afternoon and nurses, other paramedical staff and public health workers should be on duty during the post-lunch session. The Minister said she had examined all relevant documents to find out whether any past Government Orders had fixed the duty hours of the doctors till lunchtime.

"The only Government Order issued in this regard was that the doctors working in very remote area can wind up their duty by noon so that they would be able to reach home before sunset. But using this order as a cover, all Government doctors were working only till lunchtime. This cannot be permitted. The PHC doctors should conduct field visits and perform other related duties in the afternoon," she said.

The Minister also said head nurses and nursing superintendents had to do night duty. At present, the junior nursing staff members did night shifts, even though no such Government Order had been drawn up to this effect.

The norms permitting Government nurses to go abroad for work had been liberalised, she added.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who inaugurated the celebrations, said steps were being taken to implement the eight-hour duty regime for the nursing staff in all Government hospitals.

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