CHENNAI: Dialysis technicians recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) and working in government hospitals across the state staged a protest on Wednesday demanding regularisation of jobs ahead of their contract period getting over this month. The technicians also demanded that the health department post one technician for every three machines.
S Subash, an MRB dialysis technician, said, in 2021, the health department through MRB recruited 160 technicians on consolidated pay. “Since then we have been working on contract. There have been no permanent dialysis technicians for the last 30 years.
In 26 government medical colleges, there are over 1,000 dialysis machines, but there is no adequate manpower to run them. “We need around 900 people for two shifts, if norms of one technician for three machines should be followed. Patient load and number of dialysis has also increased over the years, but the manpower remains the same,” Subhash added.