MADURAI: Responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed seeking appointment of qualified dialysis technicians in Tamil Nadu government hospitals, the health secretary told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the dialysis units in the government hospitals across the state are functioning smoothly with sufficient number of technicians and machines.
In her affidavit to the court, Health Secretary Supriya Sahu stated that similar to PG medical students, students pursuing B.Sc or Diploma dialysis courses in government medical college hospitals in the state undergo two years and three months compulsory training respectively in the dialysis units in the government hospitals. Even excluding these students, the dialysis units in the government medical college hospitals in Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Tiruchy have a sufficient number of dialysis technicians at the ratio of 1:1 (one technician for each machine), she added.
She also explained that the government had appointed temporary dialysis technicians to meet the sudden need that arose due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposal to appoint over 600 dialysis technicians on a permanent basis was pending before the planning and development section of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research to study the financial implications of sanctioning the posts.
The study has concluded recently and the proposal would next be forwarded to the Finance Department and the entire process would take at least five more months to attain finality, the secretary explained, and sought six months time to complete the said exercise. With regard to the availability of dialysis machines, she said out of 768 dialysis machines across the state, 688 are in working condition and only 10 % machines are under service. The dialysis units which are under service would be put to use within three months, she assured.
Perusing the affidavit, a bench comprising Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete sought further report on the status of the repair works being undertaken in the faulty dialysis machines and adjourned the case to November 25.