Database to regulate transfers of medical staff

BANGALORE: The Health and Family Welfare Department is in its final stage of compiling a database of nearly 45,000 medical officers and other staff for the effective enforcement of the Karnataka Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officer and other Staff) Act, 2011, under which transfers of medical officers and  staff in the department would be regulated. This will be done to ensure availability of manpower in rural areas which have been suffering due to huge manpower crunch.In this final phase of verification and rectification which is expected to get over within this week as nodal officers were sent to all the 30 districts, starting from the sub centres to district hospitals and training centre to ensure proper compiling of the database of those working under the department. All the collected report will be submitted to the department in the meeting which is scheduled this week.Speaking to Express, S Selva Kumar, mission director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) said that within a few days the data will be ready and the digitised data will be used for counselling in April. All the transfers of medical officers and other staff in the department will be regulated and it will also ensure availability of medical staff in hospitals located in rural areas.In line with Education and Home Department, the Health and Family Welfare Department through the Act aims to bring in transparency in the transfers of all medical officers and other staff as it will now only be done through counselling.Under the Act, medical officers staff shall put in a minimum period of service in rural areas. Even staff working under the Ayush Department would be regulated and all transfers will be done in April and May of every year.