AAP promises regularisation for contractual Delhi health staff

NEW DELHI: Following its resolution to regularise contractual doctors and paramedics working with Delhi government, AAP today reiterated that it would make them permanent employees if voted to power here in the upcoming polls.

Addressing a gathering of such doctors and paramedics, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said that employing doctors and other staff on contractual basis was not only "illegal" but also "unconstitutional".

Regularising these 3,200-odd staffers would be AAP's first priority if the party wins power here, he said.

"The first priority for our government would be to extend the deadline of your contract, which is slated to expire on Feb. 28, 2015. Immediately after that, necessary departmental procedure for making you permanent would be initiated," said Kejriwal, a former Delhi chief minister.

Referring to his stint as a bureaucrat, Kejriwal said if any hurdle arose with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in this regard, he would handle it.

"Since I have been a bureaucrat, I would handle UPSC if it comes between the regularisation process. Leave it to me."

Neyaj Ahmad, General Secretary of Delhi Rajya Health Services Contractual Employees' Union, the organiser of the event today, said, "We have won our case thrice against Delhi government, but unfortunately Delhi government moved Supreme Court challenging the decision. Since all the governments have only played with our lives, we have pinned our hopes on AAP."

Emphasising that any government led by him would give utmost priority to health and education, Kejriwal said, "Our government plans to overhaul these two fields, including filling vacancies. Apparently, when this process starts, the government would need 10 times more qualified doctors and you all would be absorbed."

Talking of an urgent need to set up primary, secondary and super-specialty hospitals in Delhi, Kejriwal added, "Our vision is to set up three-to-four primary hospitals at each municipal ward level, and one secondary hospital at each constituency level with state-of-the-art infrastructure."

He also asked the doctors to prepare a blueprint that could include a way for providing cheaper, and possibly free, medical treatment to Delhiites.

"I am not an expert in this field, but you all are. So I am giving you a task today. Please draft a blueprint that would bring about a paradigm shift in the health sector," said Kejriwal.