An additional 142 doctors will join the hospitals under the Health Department in the first week of July, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar has said. A counselling by the Public Service Commission (PSC) will be held on July 4, when another 47 doctors are also expected to join service, he said.
Mr. Sivakumar was speaking at a review meeting on monsoon diseases called at the Secretariat here on Tuesday.
The doctors joining in July were those who had taken leave of absence to pursue their postgraduate studies after they had been appointed in the Health Service through the PSC, the Minister said. As soon as the counselling on July 4 was over, 20 vacancies in the Health Service and the vacancies anticipated in the immediate future would be reported to the PSC.
All district medical officers had been asked to appoint doctors on an ad hoc basis so that no posts remained vacant, Mr. Sivakumar said.
Only about 30 per cent of those who received an advice memo from the PSC actually joined the Health Service. While some of them opted out for pursuing higher studies, a lot many never turned up for counselling. This was a problem faced by the Health Service since the past few years, he said.
The Health Department had been trying to find a solution to this by anticipating future vacancies and reporting them in advance to the PSC, Mr. Sivakumar said. In Kasaragod district, appointments had been made on an ad hoc basis to all posts that had fallen vacant after the doctors went on leave.
Monsoon diseases
Mr. Sivakumar asked health officials to ensure meetings of the inter-sectoral coordination committee set up under the Chief Secretary, and the cooperation of various departments and agencies in organising disease-prevention-and-control activities.
All treatment facilities and essential drugs required during the monsoon season had been stocked in all government hospitals, the Minister said. Disease-and-epidemic-control centres that functioned round the clock had been set up in all districts. Medical camps were also being conducted across the State.
Mr. Sivakumar directed officials to conduct infectious diseases awareness programmes and related activities under the leadership of District Collectors in the plantation sector and in areas where migrant labourers were concentrated.
Review meeting on monsoon diseases held
Anticipated vacancies to be reported to PSC
