Editor,
Despite growing demands in the health sector, 192 sanctioned posts of laboratory technicians under the Department of Health and Family Welfare have remained vacant since 2023. This issue is more than an administrative oversight – it is a significant threat to both the quality of healthcare services and the livelihood of qualified, unemployed youths across Arunachal Pradesh.
As a government employee observing the situation closely, I am compelled to raise my voice on behalf of many who remain unheard.
Laboratory technologists form the backbone of diagnostic healthcare. They are the professionals who analyze samples, conduct tests, and provide critical information on which doctors rely for effective treatment. Without them, timely diagnosis becomes difficult, and patient care is directly compromised. Yet, these posts continue to lie vacant, even as hospitals struggle and diagnostic services fall short of rising demands.
It is especially disheartening that hundreds of educated and certified laboratory technologists in Arunachal Pradesh remain unemployed, despite being fully qualified. The last recruitment drive for these posts was advertised in 2020 by the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), the authorized agency for recruiting Group C staff.
Since then, there has been no fresh advertisement, even though the sanctioned posts are clearly vacant and the need is pressing.
There are now concerning discussions about filling these 192 posts through a ‘one-time relaxation’ method, bypassing the standard recruitment through APSSB. If this happens, it would not only violate the principles of merit-based selection but also dishearten thousands of deserving candidates who have waited patiently for a fair opportunity.
The APSSB exists to ensure transparency, equality, and accountability in public recruitment. Bypassing it would raise serious questions and open the door to favouritism and unfair practices.
I respectfully urge the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, particularly the Department of Health and Family Welfare, to refrain from any non-transparent recruitment process and instead:
- Advertise all 192 vacant laboratory technician posts through the APSSB immediately.
- Ensure a fair and open competition for all eligible candidates.
- Acknowledge and uplift the role of laboratory technologists as critical healthcare workers.
- Consult with representatives of unemployed health professionals to build trust and fairness in the system.
This is a matter of public interest, concerning healthcare quality, youth employment, and the credibility of our recruitment processes.
A concerned health sector employee