Health min admits manpower crunch

SHILLONG: Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek on Thursday informed the Assembly there is a shortage of manpower, including doctors, in hospitals and health centers.
In his reply during question hour, he said steps taken by the government to fill the vacancies are promotions through Departmental Promotion Committees and direct recruitment through recruiting agencies – MPSC, District Selection Committee and Departmental Selection Committee.
He said to meet the exigencies of service, officiating appointments with breaks in between are being made by the directorate till recommendations of regular candidates are made by the recruiting agencies.
Congress MLA Himalaya Shangpliang said unemployment in the health sector is serious while young people, who completed their studies as lab technicians and lab assistants, are languishing without jobs.
He suggested maintaining a panel of names by the recruiting agencies through the department. The minister assured to look into the matter.
Dummy institutions
On the other hand, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Saleng Sangma expressed concern over parents sending their wards to study in dummy institutions and requested the minister to issue a notification so that institutions certified by the government of India and the state government can be selected by the applicants.
To this, the minister said parents can approach the Directorate.