At a time when Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that revolutionary changes were taking place in the public health sector of the State, in a shocking revelation, it has come to the fore that due to manpower shortage in Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), the grade IV staff members of the college & hospital have been assigned to carry out the duties of grade III employess.
“Due to shortage of staff, around 80 qualified grade IV employees have been assigned to carry out the duties of grade III staff in GMCH,” an employee of the hospital told Northeast Now on condition of anonymity.
Another staff member of the hospital said that over the last seven years not a single grade IV employee of the medical college & hospital has been promoted to grade III despite many on them fulfilling the requisite educational qualification for the posts.
“Several grade III posts in registration unit, operation theatre, pharmacy, accounts section and establishment branch are lying vacant in the hospital, but the authorities have not taken any steps to fill up this posts,” an official of the hospital said.
Sources said currently there are a total of 110 grade III employees and 450 grade IV employees. Sources further said that the authorities of the GMCH now have also stopped paying various allowances to the employees.
“Earlier we used to get hazard allowances and patient care allowances but now the GMCH authorities have discontinued these allowances to the employees,” said another employee.
The further said that the sick rooms reserved for the family members of the staff members of GMCH have now been opened for general patients. On the other hand, due to manpower shortage, employees are not allowed annual leave, he alleged.
GMCH superintendent Ramen Talukdar was not available for comments.