Govt for job security to Arogya Kavacha staff

 The State government is contemplating to treat the services of Arogya Kavacha employees on a par with military service so as to ensure them job security, Health Minister Aravinda Limbavali told the Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a query by Congress legislator Appaji Nadagouda on the sad plight of the employees, the minister said the government was keen on reversing the trend. As many as 2,772 employees work on contract basis for the Arogya Kavacha emergency health service.

Nadagouda said the employees do not enjoy any job security and were sometimes forced to sleep on the corridors of panchayat offices.

Bad state

He alleged that a majority of the ambulances operating under the scheme were in a bad shape, and sought to know the reason for not displaying the photograph of the Prime Minister on the ambulances.

Limbavali replied that contract system has been adopted as a majority of the state governments were following it.

No display

He said of the 517 ambulances, 150 were in need of repairs and the vehicles were being replaced. The minister said the photographs of the chief minister and the health minister have  not been displayed on the ambulances as the members of the House opposed the move.

He retorted that it was the Congress which spent Rs 69 crore to replace the photographs of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with those of Sonia Gandhi.

Replying to another query, Limbavali admitted to non-availability of anti-venom serum at private hospitals.

He clarified that the government had not issued any order prohibiting supply of the serum to private hospitals.