Guwahati (Assam) [India], December 23 (HBTV): Strengthening Assam’s healthcare workforce, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday handed over appointment letters to 3,420 candidates for technical and non-technical posts in the health sector at a function held in Guwahati.
The appointment letters were issued to 1,403 technical and 595 non-technical candidates under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, 828 technical candidates under the Directorate of Health Services, 592 technical candidates under the Directorate of Health Services (Family Welfare), and two technical candidates under the Directorate of AYUSH.
With these appointments, the total number of government jobs provided during the tenure of the present state government has risen to 1,45,449, reaffirming its commitment to transparent and merit-based recruitment.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Sarma said that after achieving the target of one lakh appointments, the state government is now steadily moving towards its next goal of providing two lakh government jobs. He announced that fresh appointments to Grade III posts through the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination will be made on January 10 next year, while appointment letters for a large number of Grade IV posts will be issued before January 20. He added that the process of issuing appointment letters to candidates already selected for various government departments will continue until February next year.
‘No previous Assam government had been able to provide more than 25,000 to 30,000 government jobs during a five-year tenure. To fulfil the pre-election promise of one lakh jobs, the first Cabinet of the present government constituted a Cabinet sub-committee and prioritised recruitment in the Home, Health and Education departments. Over the past four and a half years, the government has honoured this commitment and is progressing steadily towards providing two lakh government jobs. As a result, a sense of confidence has grown among the youth that sincere efforts and hard work can lead to success and secure government employment,’ the Chief Minister said.
He observed that a new environment has emerged in Assam during the tenure of the present government, with several measures introduced to ensure that young men and women can secure employment through a fair and transparent recruitment process.
Highlighting initiatives taken to strengthen the healthcare sector, the Chief Minister said steps have been taken to establish one medical college in every district. He noted that the positive impact of these initiatives is becoming visible, with a gradual decline in maternal and infant mortality rates in the state.
He further said that several leading private-sector hospitals are planning to set up facilities in Assam, which will create new employment opportunities for the youth. Large projects such as the semiconductor manufacturing unit at Jagiroad, the ammonia-urea project at Namrup, the foundation stone of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the upcoming thermal power project at Chapar in Dhubri district are also expected to generate employment for thousands of young people. Alongside government employment, he said the state has laid strong emphasis on self-employment through schemes such as ‘Mukhyamantrir Atmanirbhar Assam’, which have created a sense of hope among the youth.
Addressing the newly appointed health sector employees, Chief Minister Sarma said their responsibility is far greater than that of many other government employees, as their service is directly linked to human lives. He urged them to help create an environment in government hospitals where the poor and underprivileged can access healthcare services with ease and dignity. Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said doctors and healthcare workers in the state rendered exemplary service, leading people to prefer government hospitals over private ones during the crisis.
He said government hospitals are now equipped with adequate medical facilities, and that committed, compassionate and duty-bound employees can bring meaningful change to the state’s healthcare system.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern over the rising number of children affected by cerebral palsy in Assam. He said around 30,000 children were examined during health camps across the state, of whom nearly 6,000 were found to be affected, adding that the actual number could be as high as one lakh. He stressed that with the construction of medical colleges and the recruitment of sufficient doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, the collective goal must be to ensure high-quality medical care.
He emphasised that there must be no lapses in medical care provided to women during childbirth and that every delivery should be conducted with the highest level of care and caution. He added that if all concerned remain vigilant and minimise human error in maternal healthcare, the number of cerebral palsy cases can be reduced.
‘We should create an environment in Assam where any poor or underprivileged person who comes to a hospital feels that they are in the safest possible place,’ the Chief Minister said.
He added that for the state government, recruitment is not the final goal, but a means to bring positive changes to people’s lives and ensure that every section of society benefits. He urged the newly appointed employees to care for poor patients with the same sense of responsibility and compassion with which they would care for their own parents.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ashok Singhal, Guwahati Lok Sabha MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. (ANI)