While the State has claimed that it is well prepared to handle the fourth wave of COVID-19, staff crunch is likely to be a major drawback, as the services of 6,463 doctors and other staff outsourced by the health department during the peak of the pandemic in the first wave have been discontinued. Sources said the Finance Department has rejected the proposal to extend the contract.
The 6,463 staff are excluding the 2,400 personnel outsourced by the BBMP. The services of all these workers were discontinued after their contract ended on March 31.
Sources said State Health Commissioner Randeep D. had sent a proposal seeking extension of services of the 6,463 outsourced doctors and staff for handling COVID-related responsibilities in the light of the anticipated fourth wave. In the proposal, the Commissioner had sought an extension of six months for the workers - from April 1, 2022, till June 30, 2022. However, the Finance Department has rejected the proposal on the grounds that the incidence of COVID-19 is low as of now, sources said.
