NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry has requested the DoPT for an early and timely action to fill up the vacancies in nine senior posts, stating that this has put it under "acute stress" as it is required to put in extra efforts to ensure full preparedness across the country even though the COVID-19 pandemic is declining.
In a letter to Deepti Umashankar, Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has highlighted the unfilled posts in the grades of additional secretary, joining secretary, director and deputy secretary under the Central Staffing Scheme and of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) in the Ministry of Health.
"I would like to say that a number of vacancies still persist, while a few more posts have fallen vacant or are likely to fall vacant soon."
"You are aware that even though the pandemic of COVID-19 is declining, we cannot let our guard down. At this crucial juncture, the Ministry of Health is required to put in extra efforts to ensure full preparedness across the country. Vacant positions of one Joint Secretary and eight DS/Directors have put this ministry under acute stress. It is therefore requested that an early and timely action may be taken to fill up the existing vacancies and also the vacancies arising in the coming weeks," he said in the letter on October 13.
In the letter, Bhushan also mentioned the names of the eight officers who have moved out of the ministry either on study leave or due to promotion or repatriation.
This is the second such letter to the DoPT seeking filling up of vacant posts.
The first one was written on August 12.