Lab technicians request more number of recruitment in govt hospitals

CHENNAI: The government doctors emphasize on the need of recruitment of more number of lab technicians in the government hospitals. Doctor's Association for Social Equality and Paramedical Lab Education and Welfare Association on Sunday stated that there is a shortage of lab technicians in government hospitals and that impacts the diagnostics services for the public.

The technicians say that there are vacancies available in the government sector for the Medical Laboratory Technician Level-2 and are to be filled through Medical Staff Selection Board (MRB) based on a written examination and on periodical pay should be given to them on permanent basis.

"More than 3,000 posts in government hospitals for Medical Laboratory Technician Level-2 are lying vacant and the current ordinance to fill up of posts on the basis of weightage of the marks should be repealed and they should be filled based on registration seniority, " said Dr G R Ravindranath, secretary of Doctor's Association for Social Equality.

He added that according to Ordinance 401, the posts are filled based on marks obtained in 10th, 12th and Diploma in medical lab technicians training courses. As the markings are fixed as per the weightage mark system, the opportunity for improvement is denied and many lab technicians are denied the opportunity to serve on the government jobs throughout their life. Thus, in order to provide equal opportunity, MRB should conduct a written examination for lab technicians.

The members of the Paramedical Lab Education and Welfare Association said that the vacancies for the post of lab technicians in the newly launched 11 government hospitals by college Principals and reservation was not implemented properly.

The technicians demand that appointments should be abandoned and vacancies to be filled on permanent basis only. They also said that the Council for Medical Laboratory Technicians should be set up immediately and more number of posts should be created based on the number of patients and beds.