ITANAGAR, May 11: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union [AAPSU] has called for establishing permanent health infrastructures in the state.
“The weak health infrastructure and shortage of manpower have been exposed during this current Covid-19 pandemic,” the union said in a representation to the health & family welfare secretary and the NHM’s state mission director on Monday, and demanded creation of permanent assets in the health sector instead of creating “makeshift infrastructures which only give temporary respite.”
“We demand filling up of manpower gaps and infrastructure shortages in all hospitals, CHCs, PHCs, etc, in line with the current IPHS norms,” the AAPSU said in the representation.
Meanwhile, the union has urged the health & family welfare secretary and the NHM’s state mission director to extend the date for applying for the posts of medical officers (MBBS), nurses and other health staffers under the NHM to enable interested candidates to apply.
“Many interested candidates could not apply for the jobs due to Covid-19-induced lockdown,” the union said.
It also expressed displeasure over the meagre payment being offered to those who would be hired as nurses for dedicated Covid-19 duties in the state.
The union said there was an advertisement for filling up 100 posts of nurses on contract/hire basis for Covid-19 duties, with a consolidated payment of Rs 20,000 per month without other facilities.
It said the salary was too meagre for frontline workers.
