SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said there is no proposal at present to make fresh adhoc engagements in health institutions under the Hospital Development Fund (HDF) or any similar mechanism.
Replying to a starred question by MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay in the Legislative Assembly, the Health and Medical Education Department said that prior to the ban on engagements issued through Government Order No. 43-F of 2015 dated March 17, 2015, educated and technically skilled local youth were engaged in various hospitals under HDF.
The department said these engagements were made on a minimum honorarium to provide essential technical and support services in hospitals to meet immediate functional requirements.
“Such engagements were purely temporary in nature and did not confer any right or claim for regular appointment,” the government said.
Responding to a query on whether discontinuation of such engagements affected the functioning of health institutions, the government said it is “not a fact” that the earlier engagements were discontinued in a manner that adversely impacted hospital functioning.
It added that HDF workers are continuing to serve in health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir.
The government further informed the House that there is currently no policy under consideration to make fresh engagements of similar nature in health institutions.
It also said there is no proposal to delegate powers to medical superintendents for hiring junior resident doctors or paramedical staff on an adhoc basis, as is done in some other states and Union Territories.
The reply clarified that the department is not considering any such mechanism at present.(KNS)
