CUTTACK: At least 7,483 nursing officers and 4,204 multi-purpose health workers will soon be recruited to fill up vacancies in government hospitals across the state, the Health and Family Welfare department has informed the Orissa High Court.
In an affidavit, commissioner-cum-secretary of the department, Shalini Pandit said requisitions for the recruitment have been already sent to Odisha Subordinate Services Selection Commission (OSSSC). “After submission of the recommendation list by OSSSC, government orders will be obtained for the posting of nursing officers”, she claimed in the affidavit which was placed before the court on Tuesday during the hearing of a PIL filed by Chittaranjan Mohanty, a lawyer and social activist.
Pandit said requisites have also been sent to the OSSSC for the recruitment of 1,002 pharmacists, 921 laboratory technicians and 378 radiographers in different government hospitals and medical colleges. The PIL had sought intervention for filing up of all sanctioned posts of doctors, nursing officers, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and radiographers in government hospitals and medical colleges in the state.
Taking the affidavit on record, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy fixed July 21 as the next date for further consideration of the matter along with reply of the petitioner. As per the affidavit, 11,979 nursing officers are posted in hospitals against sanctioned strength of 28,285 under Odisha Nursing Services cadre.
Similarly, 2,492 pharmacists are posted against the sanctioned strength of 3,490 under Odisha Pharmacist Services cadre.Requisitions for recruitment of 1,451 male MPHWs and 2,753 female MPHWs have been sent to OSSSC, Pandit stated in the affidavit.