Allow states to fill posts in Health dept, KDA tells Centre

Seeking prominence for the regional language in Health department services, the Kannada Development Authority has urged the union government to stop the system of centralised appointments to various posts through the ministry and allow state governments to fill these posts.

The government has been making appointments to different posts under the Health Ministry, in accordance with the Central Health Service Rules 2014.

"Prior to 2014, officials who were appointed to different states had to learn the local language and clear an exam for the same. This would allow the official to be fluent in the local language by the time of the appointment. However, now the government is giving a two-year window for them to learn the language, which has led to apathy on the part of the officials," KDA chairperson T S Nagabharana said in an official statement.

This is leading to conflicts at the ground-level, he said. Each state should be given the freedom to appoint staff, which will not only ensure that services are offered in a language comprehensible to the locals, but also provide employment for people in the state, he added.

Speaking to DH, Nagabharana pointed out how in institutions such as Nimhans, for example, the staff appointed through this centralised system were not aware of Kannada, leaving local patients in the lurch.

"One can see a similar trend in banks where the staff are unable to converse with locals in Kannada. The situation is different with Grade 'A' officials. For Grade 'B' and 'C', the job involves more public interaction, it becomes difficult if they do not know the local language," he explained.