Fill vacancies, DASE urges State health dept

Addressing the media here on Saturday, the association leaders claimed that there was a large number of vacancies in Primary Health Centers (PHC) across the State. On December 18, 2018, State government had asked to fill the 1,884 vacancies for assistant surgeons in PHCs. However, only 856 doctors were appointed in that post, while the other vacancies are yet to be filled up.

After the government asked the Health department to fill up the remaining vacancies, honorary doctors are being appointed in many places, alleged the association.

“These vacancies should be immediately filled in by the Medical Recruitment Board by appointing those who have cleared the recruitment exam. Even in medical colleges, doctors should not be appointed on contractual or honorary basis,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary of the association.

“Similarly, the State government has urged the medical colleges to appoint honorary professors and provide salaries to such appointees. However, promotion can be given to those who are already in service, while young doctors who are unemployed can be hired,” he added.

The association also alleged that several initiatives at new government medical colleges and district headquarter hospitals were based on public-private partnership, which could lead to privatisation of the health sector.

The association members said that if the government hospitals in district headquarters became private, it would deprive young doctors, nurses and midwives of their jobs, and also weaken the public health sector, which in turn would affect the patients.