Biplab Kr Dey
Tura, Aug 28: The Director of National Health Mission (NHM), through a public post has sought the recruitment through a walk-in interview for at least 21 vacancies in the Mid Level Health Providers) (MLHP) in the town of Tura. The interview announcement was made today, Aug 28.
As per the advertisement floated by the department, the interviews will be held at the Women’s Working Hostel in Tura and will begin from 10 AM on Sep 4. The posting for those sailing through the interview will be in any part of the state mostly in the Health and Wellness Sub Centres.
A total of 21 posts will be up for grabs. The contractual posting comes with a fixed remuneration along with incentives which will depend on the performance of the recruits.
Earlier the recruitment process to the same posts had met with controversy after it was found that nurses undergoing courses in Woodlands’ Hospital and NEIGRIHMS were recruited directly with none from Garo Hills featuring in the list. This led to a public backlash especially after the CM, Conrad Sangma, through a video, had claimed that there were no qualified people from the region to fill up the vacancies.
It was later found that there were quite a few in the Garo Hills region who had the requisite qualifications for the job under the MLHP program.
Immediately after the video went viral, questions were raised and many from the region, who had completed the course mentioned or done their B-Sc in Nursing, raised objections. They were apparently waiting for an advertisement to apply for the posts but were denied the opportunity when direct recruitments were undertaken by the department.
Various NGOs, senior citizens as well as political parties raised their voices asking for the posting of the earlier recruited persons be stalled until the matter was clarified. The BJP has even raised the matter with the central ministry, seeking their intervention.
The main bone of contention in the entire controversy, as per most, was the fact that no advertisement for the vacant posts was done as that would have ensured the issue would have been nipped in the bud.