Will look at absorbing health staff on contract, says Goa CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that he will explore the possibility of absorbing contractual healthcare workers, who have worked this past year and a half during the pandemic, in the state’s health service department. As and when vacancies are created in the health sector, these persons will be given priority, he said.
Stating that he has discussed the matter of absorbing these contractual workers with health minister Vishwajit Rane, Sawant, however, added that he “cannot give false assurances of regularising their services”.
“We will see how they can be accommodated in government services. Whenever a post is created, we will give priority to those people who have worked during the pandemic and their services will be continued,” the chief minister said at a function organised to mark National Doctors’ Day.
Contractual employees in the health sector include doctors, nurses and paramedic staff.
Sawant said that the people of the state and the government are grateful to the doctors for the work they are doing during the ongoing Covid pandemic. “It is because of the health staff and doctors that we have been able to come out of the second wave,” he said, adding that despite the day and night efforts put in by them, during the second wave, they had to face the brunt of public ire.
The chief minister further said that the state government has taken up the issue of the Ayush doctors salaries. “They are working for minimum salaries and the government will resolve this soon.”