Andhra Pradesh issues orders to address contract health staff grievances
Andhra Pradesh government issues orders on leave, staffing, and incentives for contract health department employees.
The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a series of orders addressing long-pending service issues raised by contract employees in the Health and Medical Education departments. The decisions, announced on Friday, cover radiographers, nurses, and other staff at Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed officials to act on the demands of the Contract Employees' Joint Action Committee. Department Secretary G. Veerapandian and Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu subsequently reviewed the matters and issued the relevant orders.
A key concession applies to contract radiographers and radiographic technicians exposed to radiation hazards. Those working in X-ray and radiology departments of teaching hospitals will now be eligible for 30 days of compulsory special leave after every 11 months of service. This leave will not be deducted from their regular leave account.
Guidelines have also been issued to manage staff shortages at PHCs. Personnel are to be deployed based on local requirements. Male and Female Nursing Orderlies may be utilised during the daytime, while Sanitary Attendants and Ward Attendants can be deployed at night to support staff on duty.
To ease the burden of continuous 12-hour shifts on nurses, a rotation system will be introduced. Where three nurses are posted and one is on leave, duties will be adjusted among the available staff. Officials have been instructed to ensure no nurse works a continuous 12-hour daytime shift. Locally available Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) may also be used for duty adjustments.
Students pursuing DMLT and B.Sc. (MLT) courses can now undergo one month of practical clinical training at PHCs and Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) as part of their six- or 12-month programmes. District Medical and Health Officers will allot training centres.
Contract paramedical staff will also receive a share of incentives provided through the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust for surgeries and medical procedures. Eligible categories include staff nurses, operation theatre technicians, anaesthesia technicians, laboratory technicians, and pharmacists. Authorities have been directed to display details of monthly surgeries, participating staff, and payable incentive amounts on notice boards.