ITANAGAR, Apr 3: The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) has appealed to the state government to explore the possibility of absorbing the existing 487 employees of the Tomo Riba State Hospital (TRSH) in the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS).
In a memorandum to the chief minister, the CoSAAP said on Tuesday that ‘there is already an indication from the TRIHMS director and the health commissioner that all the 487 staffers, starting from peon-sweeper to senior doctors, will have to be transferred out to districts once the letter of permission (LoP) is accorded to the TRIHMS by the Medical Council of India.’
It said the decision would affect the families of the employees who have served the public for so long.
‘The decision is also very likely to affect the whole health scenario in terms of patient-doctor ratio and other supporting technical and non-technical staffers, if they are shunted out of the TRIHMS post LoP,’ the CoSAAP said, and requested the CM to either absorb the staffers in the TRIHMS or allow them continue at the TRSH ’till a suitable alternative arrangement is made.’
‘These employees are in support of the upcoming TRIHMS and wish to be a part of the lone premier institute with their noble service being utilized as regular government employees in the same existing capacity as in the TRSH,’ it said.
It cited several examples of the existence of such an arrangement, like the Safdarjung Hospital, which is attached to the Vardhman Medical College, and the Maulana Azad Medical College, to which four hospitals are attached.
Informing that the TRIHMS is currently under-staffed, the CoSAAP said that ‘the emergency services as well as regular healthcare services of the TRIHMS are likely to collapse if 487 staffers are shunted out of the TRSH post LoP all of a sudden.’
The CoSAAP also requested the CM to implement the provision of higher allowances, such as non-practicing allowance for doctors (human and veterinary), house rent allowance, and tough location allowance, as per the 7th Central Pay Commission, by placing the matter in the next Cabinet meeting.
The CoSAAP informed that the CM gave assurance that he would seek an amicable solution to the issue, and that he would look into all the grievances of the state government employees.
The delegation which called on the CM and submitted the memorandum included CoSAAP president Pate Marik, secretary general Gonya Riba, and representatives of TRSH employees.
