Amid appeals from contract doctors for regularisation of their services, the Health Department has decided not to extend their services after March 31.
.According to a Government Order dated March 15, the services of medical officers and part-time multipurpose health workers who were working in mini clinics and were diverted to medical institutions in need, including fever camps and COVID-19 Care Centres, by the respective directorates in consultaton with the Collectors, would be continued till March 31 and not extended beyond that date.
In 2020, orders were issued to establish 2,000 mini clinics with medical officers, contract staff nurses and part-time multipurpose health workers for a period of one year. A total of 1,820 medical officers and 1,420 multipurpose health workers were appointed to the mini clinics. These contractual staff were diverted for COVID-19 duty.
The mini clinics scheme was not extended beyond December 31, 2021. The services of these contractual staff were continued till March 31, 2022. Following the decision not to extend the contract period beyond March 31, the doctors said the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine issued a circular to all deputy directors of health services, communicating the G.O.
The National Health Mission was directed to meet the contract payment of the medical officers and part-time multipurpose health workers from the NHM Emergency COVID-19 Response Package II funds and regular funds for human resources.
One of the contract doctors said they had decided to assemble on the premises of the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services on March 23 to stage an agitation to draw the attention of the State government to their plight. “We are appealing to the government for job regularisation. A special recruitment examination should be conducted for us. The governments of Karnataka and Telangana have promised to conduct examinations for contract doctors, and we are hoping that the Tamil Nadu government will pay heed to our appeal,” he said.
The doctors pointed out that the Chief Minister, during the election campaign, promised to regularise the services of contract doctors.
G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said, “In view of the rising COVID-19 cases in many countries, including the U.K. and China, it is important to maintain the COVID-19 hospital infrastructure set up in the State, due to the possibility of a fourth wave. These contractual staff have experience in COVID-19 duty and hence, their services should be extended. None of them should be terminated.”
A government doctor pointed out that it was a question of the livelihoods of 1,800-odd families.
