Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will take the help of an agency to tide over the shortage of medical professionals for its COVID-19 care centres and hospitals. An agency will soon be appointed for the purpose.
While the civic body is increasing the number of COVID-19 beds to meet the rise in cases, there will be a requirement of additional medical staff, from doctors to paramedical staff, to cater to the patients. As the availability of such manpower within the city is limited, the civic body will now bank on an agency to make available such professionals from other places.
Abhijit Bangar, municipal commissioner of NMMC, said that the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has already floated a tender for the appointment of an agency to supply manpower at COVID-19 care centres and hospitals. “We will also appoint an agency for medical professionals in the days to come,” said Bangar.
The number of cases of coronavirus is increasing in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. There are 8 municipal corporations and 9 councils and each one requires additional medical manpower to meet the demand. “It is not possible for the civic body to carry out an interview process and appoint people. This is a time-consuming process and also requires manpower, and both of them are scarce in this situation,” said Bangar. He added that the civic body cannot appoint on a first come, first appoint basis as the quality cannot be compromised.
Bangar informed that the civic body has received a good number of applications for different positions, they had advertised. “As the civic body is offering a good remuneration, we are sure that we will get a good number of candidates to meet the present needs,” said Bangar.
The civic body has published an advertisement to appoint doctors as well as paramedical professionals on a contract basis. The applications sought for doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, ANM, bedside assistants, and data operators on contract for six months or till the pandemic ends, whichever happens earlier. At present, the civic body requires 30 MD (medicine), 300 MBBS, 1,000 BAMS, 500 BHMS, 1,000 nurses, 12 lab technicians, 800 ANM, 1,600 bedside assistants, and 50 data operators.
Meanwhile, Bangar paid a surprise visit to the dedicated COVID-19 Hospital in Vashi to check the functioning.
