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| Red-tapism in Health Deptt helps officers to fleece Contractual employees | | A dubious election package: Govt appointing MPHWs as Nurses in NRHM | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 17: Omar Abdullah's government has begun a dubious exercise to appoint hundreds of the Multi-Purpose Health Workers (MPHWs) against the posts of Staff Nurses in the ambitious NRHM ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Apparently taking advantage of the lack of vigilance by the Election Commission of India and taking all other institutions, including the media and judiciary, for granted, the District Development Commissioners have issued notifications for filling up various paramedical vacancies in NRHM. It has been intriguingly mentioned in the notifications that in case the selection committee failed to find the qualified candidates in Nursing, it would pick up the MPHW diploma holders.
According to the informed sources, hundreds of the ruling coalition workers' children and family members are sought to be pushed into the higher paramedical positions through the backdoor.
"Our examinations have been conducted three months back. Results are still awaited, both in Kashmir and Jammu divisions as the officials tell us that they were in need of a law to be made by way of an Ordinance or a Bill in the current session of Assembly. Selection Committees have accepted our forms but made it clear that they would pick up the MPHWs if we failed to produce the Nursing diploma certificates on the day of interview", said a group of the candidates whose results are not being declared by the lately constituted J&K State Paramedical Council (PMC).
"We have been told that the delay in declaration of our results is deliberate. Some Deputy Commissioners and the heads of PMC in Srinagar and Jammu seem to be in a nexus", said Ambreen of Sopore.
She explained that there was as much difference between Nursing diploma and MPHW diploma as between the MBBS and the Medical Assistant diploma course. "Our Nursing diploma is a four-year regular course being held only at the Government's own AMTs associated with SMHS Hospital in Srinagar and SMGS Hospital in Jammu. On the other hand, the MPHW diploma is an 8-month course conducted by dozens of dubiously operating private institutions. We have evidences when the candidates were selected and awarded MPHW diploma without even appearing in an interview, training session or examination. Such diploma are at sale freely for Rs 50,000", she said.
A delegation of the candidates in Budgam district complained that the head of the selection committee and concerned Deputy Commissioner had already received a list of MPHWs from the messengers of a Cabinet Minister for selection as Staff Nurses on the basis of their MPHW diploma. The delegation complained that the candidates' requests not to entertain the applications from MPHW diploma holders were being "deliberately ignored. They implored Director of Vigilance and Chief Vigilance Commissioner to take immediate notice of this "electoral package" and ensure that only the Nursing diploma holders are selected.
Dr Waseem Qureshi, who heads the PMC, has reportedly told the candidates that he was "totally helpless" as he could not declare the results without getting a law or ordinance from the government. Previously, all these paramedical diploma courses were conducted by AMTs and private institutions and the examinations were conducted by State Medical Federation.
Officials in the office of the Commissioner-Secretary Health and Medical Education said that there was no political or bureaucratic will to make the NRHM selection transparent and based on merit. They said that the worst of the frauds were being conducted during the tenure of an IAS officer who was otherwise famous for his honesty and integrity. "Today, the DCs on the direction of some politicians are trying to appoint MPHWs as Staff Nurses. Tomorrow, they can select Medical Assistant diploma holders as Surgeons", said an insider.
He pointed out that red-tapism had created a situation of distress for scores of the Consolidated, Contractual and Adhoc employees who had been cleared for regularization by the high power committee in August last year but were being fleeced on each and every table excluding that of the Health Commissioner. "It's the Finance Minister's cruel joke with these boys and girls. He claimed on the day of presentation of budget that these people are regulraised on completion of seven years as per the Government's commitment. But the fact is that even those who have completed 9 years are yet to see their appointment orders", he said. According to him, there was no chance of regularization in 2014 for the candidates who have been cleared in the two meetings in 2013. |
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