Priority to HCWs who battled Covid: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 29 2022: Health minister Dr Sapam Ranjan has assured that 78 vacant posts of nursing sisters in JNIMS would be filled once the ACR of the staff nurses who are eligible to be promoted to the post is completed.

The minister gave this assurance during Friday's session of the Assembly while clarifying to the Policy Cut Motions raised by Opposition members during discussion on Demand for Grants of health and family welfare department.

Meanwhile, joining the discussion, chief minister N Biren said that the healthcare workers who worked at the ground level during the height of COVID-19 pandemic will be given certain advantages like age relaxation in recruitment and grace marks.

Doctors who worked at the ground level during the pandemic will be given 10 grace marks in the upcoming recruitment of 300 doctors and the same facility will be extended in recruitment of other staff as well, he added.

In his reply to points raised by Opposition members against the demand, health minister Dr Ranjan said that the government is giving attention towards providing health related schemes to people and accordingly established Health and Wellness Centres.

Around 3.5-6.2 crore families of the country are facing financial problems in accessing treatment and accordingly the Central government launched Ayush man Bharat.

Prior to Ayush-man Bharat, Manipur state launched CMHT and later launched CM's Health for All scheme, he said, adding that the government is working towards improvement of health infrastructure.

The state has many super specialists now and even the government institute could successfully perform kidney transplant, he said, adding that the government is fully prepared to face the Covid pandemic.

According to Dr Ranjan, around 558 out of the total 1213 sanctioned posts of medical officer are lying vacant and recruitment process to fill these vacant posts through MPSC is underway.

He also informed the House that the government has approved 7th pay provision for JNIMS employees and the same may be implemented within a few months.

He also clarified that medical staff engaged to tackle COVID-19 pandemic could not be regularised as they were utilised on contract and daily wage basis at the time of emergency.

He also informed the House that a proposal for infrastructure development for the proposed district hospital at Sagolmang worth Rs 63.31 crore has been made to NEC.

When the Demand for Grants of medical, health and family welfare services was moved in the House, Opposition members K Ranjit, K Meghachandra, Th Lokeshwar and Surja kumar Okram raised Policy Cut Motions and charged the government of failing to provide proper health care service to people due to acute shortage of doctors, paramedics and nurses.

They also said that people are not getting proper medical service as doctors and medical staff do not attend and work at their places of posting.

After giving clarification by the minister, the Opposition members withdrew their motions and the House passed the demand unanimously.

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