Flagging the shortage of staff in hospitals, the State Human Rights Commission on Monday observed the continuing delay in filling vacant posts and the non-creation of new posts were creating a crisis in the Tamil Nadu health sector. It further mentioned it was receiving complaints throughout the State regarding “medical negligence” of doctors and hospital staff while treating the patients.
“More than 4,000 rural health nurse vacancies remain unfilled in 8,488 sub-health centres in Tamil Nadu. With 50% of the posts lying vacant, the workload of the rural health nurses in service has increased drastically,” SHRC member V. Kannadasan observed in an order. The Commission recommended the State government to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh to a pregnant woman’s kin who was reportedly forced to clean up her blood before boarding an ambulance.
