Government general hospital in Vijayawada faces shortage of nursing orderlies and support staff
This includes shifting patients from hospital wards to scan centres and diagnostic labs using wheelchairs and stretchers. Moreover, complaints about these healthcare assistants demanding money from patients and their attenders in exchange for assistance with patient mobility continue to emerge from time to time, as the govt hospital struggles with a shortage of support staff.
"The GGH has 106 FNOs/MNOs rendering services as healthcare assistants for patient care.
Of the total 106 strength, four assistants went on long leave and did not attend their duties over the last few months. With the limited availability of the healthcare assistants, the hospital management is assisting patients using most of their services during the daytime to maximise the benefit in patient care," said GGH health inspector Somaraju.
At the GGH, the authorities allocated duties to FNOs/MNOs in three shifts (i.e.,
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shift A, B, C) wherein shift A starts at 8 am and ends at 2 pm, while shift B starts at 2 pm and ends at 8 pm. In the third shift, which is shift C, the assistants have to be on a 12-hour night duty from 8 pm to 8 am. Each FNO/MNO is paid Rs 13,000 net salary excluding Rs 2,000 PF, ESI, and other deductions.
According to the health inspector, the GGH needs around 300 to 350 FNOs/MNOs daily to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services to the patients.
However, the shortage of healthcare assistants continues to plague the patients from accessing healthcare services.
"The issue has been there for many months and health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav, during a recent inspection of the GGH, took stock of the healthcare assistants shortage and promised to fill all the assistant vacancies across all govt hospitals in the state. We are waiting for the health department to take up a state-wide drive to fill the vacant healthcare assistant posts in hospitals," health inspector Somaraju said.
GGH superintendent Dr AV Rao said: "We have proposed to form an agency and recruit FNO/MNO workers on an outsourcing basis as the govt recruitment drive is getting delayed. Proposals have been sent in that regard and we are waiting for the govt's response as it is again the state govt's duty to form an agency and recruit assistants on an outsourcing basis. We are hoping that the issue will be resolved soon as the health minister and department are working to address the assistants shortage issue at the GGHs.
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