Contractual health personnel demands govt. to protect their future

Aurangabad, March 5:

The contractual doctors and other health personnel appointed by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic situation during the last year underlined that their future is hanging in the balance.

As a result, the state government should take an appropriate decision and give them preference in AMC's appointments in future. It is learnt that the AMC recruited 285 contractual personnel, including doctors, during the last year, but their services were discontinued from November-December when the Covid-19 situation restored normalcy in the city. In fear of the second wave of Covid-19, the AMC again re-instated their services. Now, the insecurity has prevailed in the minds of these contractual staff as they fear the would again send them home after the situation attains normalcy. Hence there is a dire need for the government to think about protecting their future.

They underlined that AMC personnel (on the establishment) were not ready to work in Covid Care Centres. In this emergency situation, the contract personnel worked by risking their lives. The honorarium granted to them is also not-so encouraging. They are given their monthly wages once in 2-3 months after getting fund from the district administration.

The contractual staff includes 13 MBBS doctors, 57 Ayush doctors, 45 BDS doctors, 65 nurses, 17 ANMs, 19 ward boys, 10 pharmacists, 42 lab technicians, 07 x-ray technicians, 02 ECG technicians, 02 storekeepers and 04 data entry operators.

According to contractual doctors Dr Yogesh Jain, Dr Ritesh Sanklecha and Dr Shakeel Shaikh, " The government should think about their future and take an appropriate decision. They should be given preference in the jobs at AMC. Where should go we after the discontinuation of services? We are working against facing all odds, coming in our way while rendering services to Covid-19 patients at the centres. We had never grieved before the administration. Hence our demand should be considered on priority."

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As per the AMC record, 35,043 persons (till to date) were reported as Covid-19 positives, out of which 31,776 got recovered, and 2,383 patients are undergoing treatment in various centres and hospitals. Earlier, 50 Covid Care Centres set up by AMC were functioning in 2020, but seven CCCs are functioning in March 2021.