(MOREPIC1) Face2News/Chandigarh
In a significant move aimed at strengthening the state's healthcare infrastructure, Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday announced that the Finance Department has granted approval to the Health and Family Welfare Department's proposal to fill 1,568 vacant positions of ANMs and Staff Nurses under the National Health Mission (NHM).
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema revealed that the approval covers the filling of 729 vacant positions of ANMs against a total of 2,000 sanctioned posts, and 839 vacant positions of Staff Nurses against 1,896 sanctioned posts. He emphasized that the state government is committed to ensuring that healthcare services are not hampered due to staff shortages and has therefore prioritized filling these contract-based vacancies.
Highligting the financial commitment of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led government toward this initiative, the Finance Minister disclosed that the total annual financial implication for these recruitments is estimated to be Rs 48.88 crore. Break-ups of the expenditure indicate an annual cost of Rs 18.98 crore for the ANM positions and Rs 29.90 crore for the Staff Nurse positions. He specified that under the approved pay structure, the monthly remuneration has been fixed at Rs 21,700 for ANMs and Rs 29,700 for Staff Nurses.
Finance Minister Cheema further informed that to ensure merit and transparency, the recruitment process is proposed to be conducted through a written examination administered by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. He added that the Finance Department has accorded this approval with the stipulation that the Administrative Department ensures necessary concurrence from the Personnel Department regarding these appointments.