Tamil Nadu: All Pharmacists Association stages protest, demanding 1200 vacancies to be filled

Tamil Nadu: The members of All Pharmacists Association of Tamil Nadu on Thursday staged a demonstration in the form of protest, demanding the government to fill more than 1,200 vacancies in the state.

The demonstration was held in front of the Office of the Deputy Director of Health Services in Viswanathapuram reported The Hindu.

The Hindu also reported that All Pharmacists Association secretary A. Tamilselvi said, " there were more than 1,200 posts of pharmacists lying vacant. The government should take immediate steps to fill them. Due to posts lying vacant and staff shortages, pharmacists had to take up additional work. Since it is an essential service, pharmacists were taking up the additional work burden without a grumble. However, the government must take steps to fill the vacancies. The COVID-19 financial assistance should also be provided to them.

The pharmacists also demanded service regularisation and urged the government to create posts in the rank of Superintendents. They also demanded to the government to ensure that the working hours for primary health centres (PHCs) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. were strictly followed. It added that vacancies for pharmacists must be created in 385 block PHCs around the state.