PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry government's practice of absorbing unqualified sanitary workers and ward attendants to posts of lab assistants and attendants and promoting them to vacant senior laboratory technician posts has come in for criticism from the medical fraternity including paramedical medical students in the Union territory.
Medical lab technician graduates and students said the educational qualification for the posts of lab assistants and attendants is SSLC/ matriculation or its equivalent with two years of experience in laboratories of hospitals.
They said most of the sanitary workers and ward attendants, who were absorbed to the post of lab assistants and attendants, have submitted fake experience certificates to get the promotion. They urged the government to institute a CBCID inquiry and terminate the services of those who have submitted fake certificates. Much to the chagrin of these graduates, the government also considers these lab assistants and attendants, after five years of service, for the posts of senior lab technicians after imparting them training for one year.
"These lab assistants and attendants use this loophole to get promotion from level 1 pay scale (₹18,000) as senior lab technician, which carries the pay scale in level 6 (₹35,400). Their pay hike is more than double and such a jump in pay scale does not exist in any cadre in India. The government provides them training at Mother Teresa Institute for Paramedical Studies. This institute produces many trained and qualified lab technicians (BSc MLT) every year and most of them are struggling to get decent placement," said a medical lab technician student. They regretted that the government spends taxpayer's money to train these unqualified lab assistants to perform highly skilful assignments.
