Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Efforts on to resolve staff shortage at MCH

Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another attempt to resolve the problem of acute staff shortage at Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) here, the Government has now issued an order asking the college Principal to recruit nursing assistants on daily wages till permanent hands can be appointed through the employment exchange.

However, the MCH authorities are not pinning their hopes on the order as similar attempts to recruit temporary staff had been sabotaged by various vested interests. A desperate bid by the authorities two years ago to recruit nursing assistants to the MCH and SAT Hospital ended in the gherao of the District Medical Officer by political party activists.

The Principal has been asked to take in through a walk-in interview those who had retired as nursing assistants for a period not exceeding 179 days.

Following reports that the cleaning activities at the hospital had been hit badly, the Government had earlier announced that all vacancies be filled through walk-in interviews for daily wages staff by the hospital development committees.

The salary was to have been paid by the Government. However, it was not implemented.

According to existing rules, direct recruitment is not possible for posts other than those of part-time sweepers, who can climb up the ladder and become nursing assistants. A special order issued by the Government in 1982-83 gave the part-time sweepers the option of continuing in the same post till the age of 70 or opting for promotion. Many chose to stay on, affecting the recruitment to other promotion posts.

In 1998, when a similar staff shortage arose, about 800 persons were recruited on a temporary basis to the next level, that of Grade II. But the daily wages staff managed to stay on permanently through various court orders, again affecting the recruitment to promotion posts.

Now as a last ditch effort, the Government is trying to get the ‘temporary’ Grade II staff permanent with the concurrence of the Public Service Commission, so that they can all be promoted and new appointments made to those vacancies.

The Government has issued orders bringing the paramedical staff in Medical Colleges under the Director of Medical Education. At present, the staff members come under the Director of Health Services.

The paramedical staff at Medical Colleges will be given the option of remaining under the Health Services or joining the Medical Education Service. But it will be at least two years before the process of bifurcation of staff can be completed. Once the Government Order is implemented, the Director of Medical Education will become the direct appointing authority for paramedical staff to the Medical Colleges.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Charge against LDF Government
Corporation to set up green clubs
Kerala student for Mission Olympics
Government accused of politicising education sector
Corporation to move High Court for modernisation of Pangode fish market
Efforts on to resolve staff shortage at MCH
Managements’ claim to minority rights questioned
Plea to rehabilitate displaced families in coastal wards
Army warns youth against job racketeers

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu