Corporation hires 12 doctors through ads

Twelve MBBS graduates have been hired by the Chennai Corporation for the posts of medical officers as part of its drive to fill all the vacant posts.

Further, there are eight new posts of medical officers that have been added that are waiting to be filled.

The civic body currently has 2,405 vacant posts, of which more than 1,200 are for the Health Department alone.

The Corporation recruited the medical officers after advertising for applications instead of recruiting from the employment exchange this time. “We wanted young, well qualified doctors for the posts, but graduates usually opt for postgraduate degrees or private hospitals. We found it very difficult to hire them and the posts were vacant for a long period of time,” said Commissioner D Karthikeyan.

Seven of the medical officers have been posted at the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet, while five others have been posted each in the Urban Primary Health Centres at Royapuram, Mylapore, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Old Slaughter House Road and Ice House.

The posts are permanent and will have all the perks a government officer is entitled to. The Commissioner also added that they would be inviting applications, as not all of the 12 officers recruited might be willing to take up the job.

Around 309 posts of permanent malaria workers and 83 posts of basic health workers are also vacant. As many as 784 additional posts of engineers, conservancy workers and zonal officers among others have been added. The old vacancies will be filled either by promotion or direct recruitment, Corporation officials said.