432 health workers including 385 doctors to be sacked from state health department

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department has decided to sack 432 health workers including 385 doctors who have been abstaining from the service for many years. Health minister K K Shylaja has ordered to sack 385 doctors and 47 other health staff. During this time of the pandemic, the state is facing a severe shortage of health workers. However, these health workers are being sacked as they repeatedly denied the government’s plea to join the service. Earlier 36 doctors from the education department were sacked for not reporting to duty.

As of now, among the sacked doctors there are probationers and even permanent doctors. Apart from them, the list includes five health inspectors, four pharmacists, one filaria inspector, 20 staff nurses, one nursing assistant, two dental hygienists, two lab technicians, two radiographers, two optometrists, one hospital attender, three record librarians, one PHN tutor and three clerks. Health ministry has given confirmation over the list.

Many health workers and doctors are working day and night in the state to save the people from the Covid 19 pandemic and other diseases caused by natural disasters. Meanwhile, the government has given repeated summons to various health staff features on the list but only a few came back. The health minister said that mass sacking was taken as a last resort.

Health minister’s Facebook post is as follows:

The state government has decided to sack 432 health workers including 385 doctors from the health department, who have been abstaining from duty for a long time. These people were given the opportunity to re-join in the service but, they were not interested. In the grave situation created by the pandemic, there is a dire need of health workers in the state. It is for this purpose, with great willpower such a decision was taken. Earlier 36 doctors from the education department were sacked for not reporting to duty. Order for reporting those staff who has not been reporting for duty has been served to the higher officials in the health department.

As of now, among the sacked doctors there are probationers and even permanent doctors who abstained from duty illegally for a long time. Apart from them, the list includes 47 other health staff which includes five health inspectors, four pharmacists, one filaria inspector, 20 staff nurses, one nursing assistant, two dental hygienists, two lab technicians, two radiographers, two optometrists, one hospital attender, three record librarians, one PHN tutor and three clerks.

Many health workers and doctors are working day and night in the state to save the people from the Covid 19 pandemic and other diseases caused by natural disasters. In such as situation health workers abstaining from reporting for duty is quite unacceptable. The government took such a strong measure after it came to the notice that shortage among even the permanently appointed staff is causing serious trouble in the functioning of many programmed implemented by the government in the health sector.

These people who have been out of the service for such a long time has affected health department’s service delivery among the masses their presence in the service also impedes the opportunities of hundreds of trained health professionals who are sitting outside waiting to serve the government’s health machinery.