Relief for contract employees in health department like Andhra govt. responds positively to requests

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken a number of measures to address the long-standing problems of contract staff in the health and medical education departments related services and is providing relief to radiographers, nurses and other staff working in primary health centers (PHCs).

A press statement on Friday said that in a positive response to the demands of the Joint Action Committee of Contractual Employees (JAC), Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed the officials to resolve the issues and Ministry Secretary G. Veerapandian and Health and Family Welfare Commissioner KVN Chakradhar Babu conducted a review and subsequently issued orders on various matters relating to contractual employees.

A special concession was granted to contract radiographers and radiographic technicians who are exposed to radiation hazards in the performance of their duties. Eligible employees working in X-ray and radiology departments of teaching hospitals will be entitled to 30 days of mandatory emergency leave after completing every 11 months of service.

This extraordinary leave should not be deducted from their regular leave account, the authorities said, according to a statement.

Lack of staff

Guidelines have been issued to address staff shortages and to adjust responsibilities in primary health services based on local requirements. Available staff should be used efficiently to meet operational needs. The services of orderlies (MNOs) and orderlies (FNOs) can be used during the day, while the services of orderlies/watchmen (SAWs) can be deployed at night whenever necessary, especially to assist staff on night duty.

Gear rotation system

In order to reduce the burden on nurses of continuous 12-hour shifts, where three nurses are assigned to primary health care and one is on leave, the duties should be arranged by a rotation system among the available staff. Officials have also been directed to ensure that the nurse does not have to work a continuous 12-hour shift during the day. The services of locally available ANMs should also be effectively utilized for custom adjustments.

Students of DMLT and B.Sc. Courses (MLT) will now be able to undertake clinical training in Primary Health Centers and Urban Primary Health Centers (UPHC). As part of the six- or twelve-month clinical training, students can complete one month of practical training at PHC and UPHC. District doctors and health officers will allocate training centers to the students.

Another key decision relates to incentives provided through the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust (NTRVST) for surgeries and medical procedures. Contractual non-medical health workers participating in such procedures will also be eligible for a share of incentives subject to their cadre and prescribed standards. Eligible categories include nurses, operating room (OT) technicians, anesthesiology technicians, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and other associated non-medical personnel.

Officials concerned were told that the notice boards should show details of the operations carried out each month, the employees who participated in them and the incentive amounts payable to each employee.

Published – 04 Sep 2026 22:19 IST