The Odisha government has decided to give weightage and extra marks to short-term healthcare workers who were engaged during Covid-19 pandemic, a senior health department official said Thursday. These short term health workers to be given preference in the next recruitment examination to different posts like nursing officers, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory technicians, and multi-purpose health workers.
During the pandemic, thousands of short-term healthcare workers had taken responsibilities like nursing officers, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory technicians, multi-purpose health workers and were engaged in district headquarters hospitals, medical college and hospitals and Covid-care centers.
Considering the contributions of these short-term healthcare workers in tackling the pandemic situation, the government, under the directions of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has framed the "Odisha grant of weightage in marks in the Recruitment examinations in favour of Short-Term Covid-19 Healthcare workers Rules-2022," the official said.
Health and Family Welfare Secretary Shalini Pandit said the short-term Covid-19 healthcare workers who were engaged for a minimum period of three months, would be allowed weightage of 5 per cent extra marks in the next recruitment examination to be conducted by OSSSC (Odisha Suboridinate Staff Selection Commission) to the posts of nursing officers, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory technicians and multipurpose healthcare workers.
The Health secretary, however, said that this would be a onetime measure. Earlier, such health care workers had demanded placement in the government as they feel to have been thrown away after pandemic reduced.
(With PTI inputs)
