HC seeks govt.’s response on recruitment of staff for mini clinics

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday sought a response from the State on a public interest litigation petition that challenged the government’s decision to recruit healthcare staff for the mini clinics by engaging a private agency.

A Division Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and S. Ananthi sought a response on the PIL petition filed by advocate G.V. Vairam Santhosh of Madurai. The State had proposed to set up over 2,000 mini clinics and would be recruiting healthcare staff for these clinics.

A government order issued in December last had directed the Deputy Directors of Health Services to fill up the posts of 585 multipurpose workers and 1,415 staff nurses through an outsourcing method.

A selection process that involved a large number of candidates must be held by adhering to the principles of reservation and communal rotation, and Medical Recruitment Board or employment exchanges must be involved in the process, he said.

The petitioner said that the government order takes away the selection process and instead allowed a private agency to appoint the candidates. He sought a direction to the State to make the appointments by following due selection process.

Additional Advocate General Sricharan Rangarajan told the court that the appointments were being made on a temporary basis till March this year. He sought time to get instructions in this regard. The case was adjourned till Tuesday.