Functionaries of pro-Left staff unions in Kozhikode have sought urgent steps to fill vacancies in the Health department, because of which, they claimed, the functioning of government hospitals has been affected.
According to leaders of the Kerala NGO Union and the Kerala Government Officers’ Association (KGOA), posts such as field worker, junior health inspector grade I, health inspector, health supervisor, public health nurse, public health nurse supervisor, technical assistant grade I, technical assistant grade II, malaria officer, and biologist in the district vector control unit have remained vacant since May after retirement of the incumbent staff.
KGOA State vice-president P.P. Sudhakaran says that no steps have been taken to prepare a list of senior staff who can be promoted to these posts. In healthcare institutions, posts such as district lab officer, chief lab technician, junior scientific officer, and senior scientific officer too are vacant.
Kerala NGO Union leaders say that the distribution of medicines has gone haywire in most government hospitals because posts such as pharmacist and store superintendent have not been filled. The absence of senior nursing officer, nursing officer, nursing superintendent, and deputy nursing officer in hospitals are affecting their functioning, the leaders allege. No steps are being taken to fill the posts of part-time sweeper, grade II assistant, and grade I assistant, which are essential for maintaining hygiene in hospitals. Promotions have not been done to posts such as senior clerk and administrative assistant as well, they claim.
The leaders of the Kerala NGO Union and the KGOA say that normally the seniority list for promotion is prepared and implemented by May. Subsequently, Kerala Public Service Commission is notified about the need to appoint staff in entry-cadre posts. As both these steps have not been taken, many government job aspirants are left in the lurch, they allege.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the pro-Left unions also claim that the authorities are busy randomly transferring staff in violation of guidelines. A situation is conducive for the private healthcare sector is being created by mismanaging the functioning of government hospitals, they add.
Published – September 16, 2026 07:06 pm IST
