Karimnagar: Officials relieved 558 employees working under the Medical Policy Council on November 9 without giving them new postings. The move has caused confusion in the state medical and health department over employee reassignment. Critics say the lack of advance planning shows administrative failure by the state government and the department.
The government is taking decisions on setting up new hospitals, expanding medical services and reassigning staff. Critics say coordination in implementing these decisions is lacking.
The officials who relieved the employees have not made clear when they will get postings or which hospitals they will serve. Critics say authorities should have finalised staff allocations based on vacancies, requirements and hospitals before relieving anyone. The employees face difficulties because of the differing treatment.
Breakdown of 558 employees across 30 hospitals
The supplementary details on the reassignment cover 558 employees in 30 hospitals. They include 39 doctors, 244 nursing staff, 111 ministerial staff, 48 paramedical staff and 116 class IV employees. The nursing staff include 18 nursing superintendents (Grade-1), 35 nursing superintendents (Grade-2), 162 head nurses and 29 ANMs.
Nursing staff play a crucial role in keeping medical services running in hospitals. Officials should have considered their postings, duties and hospital requirements in advance when redeploying so many of them. Instead, the lack of clarity on postings after the relief orders is a cause for concern.
The 111 ministerial employees include 11 administrative officers, 16 senior assistants and 73 junior assistants. They handle hospital administration, office management, employee service matters and record management. Without clarity on their postings, hospital operations could suffer. The employees are demanding clear orders on their duties and the payment of pay and allowances from November 10.
Several questions remain unanswered. The relieved employees do not know which hospital to join from November 10 or whom to report to. It is also unclear which office will pay their pay and allowances, and whether the current hospital management or the newly allocated hospitals will take responsibility for their salaries.
The employees also do not know when to register attendance or start duties if postings stay unfinalised. Doubts are plaguing them. Their own department has not decided where they will work, so they do not know where to go.