Health Dept move raises medical fraternity’s hackles

​Hyderabad: State Health Department's decision in giving a go-ahead to a few district administrations to recruit doctors and nursing staff on contract basis has not gone down well with the medical fraternity in the State. Both Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T JUDA) and HRDA (Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association) have voiced their opposition to the decision and also presented representations to the higher-ups, seeking its withdrawal.

The District Medical and Health officers of Ranga Reddy and Komaram Bheem-Asifabad districts issued notifications to fill civil assistant surgeons, postgraduate and MBBS doctors as well as staff nurses to work in PHCs, Basti Dawakhanas and other places. The contract period would be for one year with a consolidated pay scale. Eligible candidates were invited to apply before December 24 in Ranga Reddy and before December 27 in Adilabad district.

A delegation from HRDA submitted a memorandum in Principal Secretary A Shanti Kumari’s office, opposing recruitment of doctors on contract basis. HRDA president Dr K Mahesh Kumar said they were shocked to know the decision of the Health Department. Vacancies exist in government-run hospitals and centres across Telangana and the need of the hour is to go for filling of posts on permanent basis, instead of going for temporary recruitments, he said.

He appealed to senior officials to withhold contract recruitment and go for permanent recruitment through Medical and Health Services Recruitment Board and according to new Telangana Public Employment Order, 2018. T JUDA chairman Dr P S Vijayender recalled that senior officials in Health Department gave an assurance to junior doctors a few months ago that contract recruitments would not be taken up in view of legal complications that arose earlier in regularising 500-odd contract doctors working in districts for the last ten years or so. 

However, to the surprise of everyone in junior doctors’ fraternity, notifications have been issued to fill posts on contract basis, he rued. The doctors' fraternity could not meet Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) A Shanti Kumari as she was not available in the office on Saturday. They will try to meet Principal Secretary office on Monday and register their protest over government's fresh decision.