Govt. hospitals get manpower for sanitary work, security

Move comes as relief for hospitals facing acute shortage of labour

November 26, 2013 02:07 am | Updated 09:54 am IST - CHENNAI:

Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (above), along with others, is expected to function with full strength from December 1. Photo: R. Ravindran

Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (above), along with others, is expected to function with full strength from December 1. Photo: R. Ravindran

Cleanliness and security at city government hospitals are likely to improve with the government outsourcing manpower to fill up the vacancies in the posts of hospital sanitary workers and security staff.

Most of the hospitals are expected to start functioning with full strength from December 1.

Officials of the health department said the government had decided to outsource manpower to fill up the vacancies in the posts of hospital workers and security staff in hospitals with more than 200 beds across the State.

The Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project had taken up the work and subsequently, selected a private agency to appoint the workers.

Many hospital authorities said they could heave a sigh of relief as the hospitals faced acute shortage of labour with the vacancies having accumulated over the years.

“Cleanliness is a priority for government hospitals especially due to the large number of patients and visitors coming in every day. Filling up the vacancies of sanitary workers will definitely help in the upkeep of the hospitals,” V. Kanagasabai, dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH), said.

The GH has 264 vacancies in the posts of sanitary workers, security staff and supervisors. Of this, a total of 75 hospital workers and seven supervisors have joined duty since November 15, while 45 watchmen will join soon, he said. “We will get the full strength by December 1,” he added.

The Government Stanley Medical College Hospital has been allotted 132 hospital sanitary workers, 66 security and 12 supervisors. “All the sanitary workers and supervisors have joined. So far, 36 security staff members have joined and the remaining posts will be filled up by December 1,” T. Subashini, assistant residential medical officer of the hospital, said.

She said each supervisor had been allotted a block and would supervise 15 workers. The workers will come in three shifts. “This will help us maintain a level of cleanliness on par with private hospitals,” she added.

Authorities of Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital have welcomed the move.

“Till now, we had 180 hospital workers — 120 on a regular basis and 60 on contract. The earlier contract is being scrapped and we are getting 324 more workers. The existing number of security staff was 28 but now, we have been allotted 43 persons,” an official said.

Among other city hospitals, Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children is getting 91 housekeeping staff, 24 security personnel and eight supervisors.

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