Over 99% health workers with Vasai Virar corporation are on contract, RTI data finds

Even 14 years after its formation, the health department of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) is being run by contractual employees. Of a 934-strong workforce, there are only six permanent employees and none of them are doctors, data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveals.

VVCMC had in 2009 hired doctors and health workers for its seven hospitals, 21 primary health centres, four outpatient departments, and several women and childcare facilities. The 934 employees include 46 specialist doctors, 15 MBBS doctors, and 117 BAMS doctors, the corporation said on Tuesday, in response to the query filed by social activist H S Dasoni.

It is a matter of concern, a civic official said. “We had sent a proposal to the state government in 2013 to regularise the services of at least 30% of the contractual staff. However, it is yet to be approved,” the official, who refused to be identified, said.

Recently, around 450 health employees from different faculties filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking regularisation of their services.

Advocate Abhijeet Desai, their counsel, said all the workers have been with the civic body from the beginning. Their appointment is entirely on merit through interviews conducted by a selection committee and almost all of them have been appointed to sanctioned posts, he said.

RTI data also shows that there are around 1,600 permanent posts of different faculties available with the health department. Despite that their services are revised every six months by giving them a one-day technical break so that they cannot claim permanency, Desai claimed.

He further said that during the pandemic, they were the backbone of the VVMC-run hospitals and health centres. “The fear of possible discontinuation of service always haunts them. Most of these workers cannot even apply to any other government post since they have crossed the age criterion.”

“Recently, several municipal corporations like Kalyan-Dombivali, Parbhani, and Sangli regularised services of their contractual employees as they had sanctioned posts available and also, they required the services of the employees,” Desai said, adding the high court has posted the petition for hearing in June.

Dr Abhay Shukla, national convenor of Jan Swasth Abhyan, said appointing doctors on contract is a problem in Maharashtra which hampers people’s access to reliable and affordable healthcare.

“It is weakening the public health system. For example, during Covid-19, the case fatality rate (deaths per 100 patients) in Maharashtra was 1.9% while it was 1% in Kerala. The per capita income is the same in both states, but Maharashtra has six government doctors per one lakh population against Kerala’s 15. A better public healthcare system does matter,” he said.

Dr Shukla, who has worked with AIIMS-Delhi, said permanent doctors are the bedrock of a good public health system. “Permanent doctors get trained and gain experience over time. The delivery of services and the quality of healthcare depend a lot on experience. If you have a contractual doctor, there is a high turnover rate. They will leave for a better opportunity. They also lack the level of commitment, involvement and accountability a permanent doctor possesses.”

Ravi Duggal, a public health researcher and activist, said contractual doctors are even hired for government schemes. “It is not a good practice. We need permanent doctors as they are dedicated to their work. On the other hand, staff on contract take things easier and do not perform.”