HYDERABAD: A day after nearly 10,000 vacancies were notified in the Health department, the government has axed 626 existing healthcare workers. They would be left on their own after March 31 as they would cease to be in the service of the government. These 626 staff are from various hospitals coming under the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP). They include Civil Assistant Surgeons, doctors, nurses and lab technicians who were recruited in September 2021.
The reason cited was that their services were no longer required as Covid-19 was on the decline. They would be out of jobs as the government has withdrawn GO Nos: 1,215 and 1,384 under which they were appointed.
Among those impacted are staff from Golconda, Vanasthalipuram, Kondapur and Malakpet Area Hospitals. They had been hired both via contract and outsourcing methods. According to healthcare workers, this number is likely to rise sharply as two more GOs under which recruitment was also done may be withdrawn in a day or two.
“The termination of our service was abrupt with no forewarning. It left little time for us to look for other options. When we approached the Health Minister, he said that they had already released a GO for recruitments and we could apply for jobs notified,” said a doctor who has been affected by the termination of his service.
“The problem is that only sanction of jobs has been announced but not the schedule for recruitment. How can we live till such time the jobs are advertised and we write the examinations and get the jobs?” the doctor said. These healthcare workers are also specifically disadvantaged because their service tenure is less than six months, making them ineligible for extra points and weightage in future recruitment.
The patient-to-doctor ratio is also likely to be impacted as the current staff is just enough for the patient population. “The reason they gave is lower number of Covid cases, but the other cases are steadily coming in. The sudden departure of nearly 20 staff from each hospital will impact the health service delivery,” added another doctor on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, doctors from Telangana Institute of Medical Science (TIMS), who find themselves in a similar situation are hoping for a positive response.
More bad news likely
According to healthcare workers, this number is likely to rise sharply as two more GOs under which recruitment was also done may be withdrawn soon