17 outsourced staff removed from Seraikela Sadar Hospital

Mail News Service

Seraikela, April 1: As many as 17 outsourced and contract workers were removed from job at the Seraikela Sadar Hospital on Friday, sources said.

According to department sources, the one year service contract period of the workers had expired on 31^st March last. Therefore, the workers were asked not to come on duty from today, sources said.

The removed workers are all auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs). Out of them, 12 work for the outsourcing company Tejas while five work under contract for National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), sources said.

During the Covid pandemic, the ANMs were deputed at the Seraikela Sadar Hospital. Earlier, there were a total of 35 ANMs in the hospital. But now the entire workload is being handled by just 16 ANMs.

A section of citizens said the lack of manpower was taking a toll on the healthcare services at the Sadar Hospital and other health centres across the district. Despite tall claims of the state government, the pace of recruitment of health staff is painfully slow and unyielding, said LN Ojha, a senior citizen and resident of Adityapur.

According to the district civil surgeon, “The health department has been informed about the manpower crisis. We have also demanded recruitment of dresser in the hospital. We expect the healthcare facilities to improve shortly.”