From Our Correspondent
TURA, Aug 30: Prominent organisations from Garo Hills on Wednesday pointed out various ‘lapses’ in the recent Mid-Level Health Provider (MLHP) recruitment process and while seeking action against those responsible for the fiasco, has also urged the government to put on hold the whole appointment process to the vacant posts.
Barring any from the Garo community, a total of 41 candidates were recently declared appointed to posts of MLHP in an order issued by the Mission Director. All the appointed candidates were to be posted in different districts of Garo Hills.
Garo organisations including the FKJGP, ADE, AYWO, FAF and the GSU led by Zikku Balgra N Marak dispatched a joint representation to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma pointing out various lapses which amounted to violation of the usual recruitment process.
“We did our due research and found another circular Vide Memo No.DHS/MCH&FW/NHM/MLHP/20/2023(II), dated 11.08.2023 whereby it was instructed that in order to fill up the vacant positions of MLHP at the Health and Wellness Centres, the applicants will have to undergo verification of documents and counselling on the August 17. However, till date, we have not been able to find any circular regarding the advertisement for the above mentioned positions (despite our best efforts) which we believe is in clear violation of the existing recruitment procedures laid down by the Meghalaya government,” the organisations said.
The groups also said that they learned that the Indian Nursing Council has sent a letter to all colleges of nursing across India (vide Letter No. 22-206/CPCH/2019-INC dated 29th May 2019) whereby all B.Sc. Nursing Colleges would have to integrate the MLHP course in the undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing curriculum. “We have been provided other official letters even from the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi. However, after thoroughly perusing the letters, we did not find any mention of GNM Nurses being ineligible for the posts of MLHP,” the organisation claimed.
Pointing out that GNM and B.Sc. Nursing students had earlier also been recruited to the posts of MLHP in the state, the groups argued that the Mission Director has acted arbitrarily in the recent instance and sought that the official be subjected to official inquiry and reprimanded.
“Despite our best efforts, we cannot find the advertisement for the posts of MLHP with regards to the Memo No. DHS/MCH&FW/NHM/MLHP/20/2023/(III) dated 23.08.2023 which clearly indicates that the Mission Director has irresponsibly flouted the appointment guidelines of the Meghalaya government and acted on his own accord and thus he/she should be held accountable for this unfortunate events which could have easily led to a major misunderstanding between the people of the state and thus he/she should be reprimanded for his/her actions accordingly,” the organisations added.
The organisations also claimed that medical officials of NHM Meghalaya have been trying to convince that after the circular from the INC, the Meghalaya government was recruiting only those students who had passed B.Sc. Nursing courses post 2022, when on the contrary, they added, the candidates list in the office memo dated August 11, 2023, showed that candidates who hailed from Bethany GNM Nursing School, which does not offer B.Sc. Nursing courses, were also invited.