Over 8 lakh outpatients utilise mini clinics across the State

Over eight lakh outpatients have utilised the mini clinics that were launched in mid-December across Tamil Nadu. So far, 893 of the planned 2,000 clinics have been opened, while the Health Department has initiated the process of recruiting medical officers on contract through the district health societies.

A total of 8,36,581 outpatients have utilised these clinics so far. Of them, 5,39,483 attended the clinics in the morning hours and 2,97,098 in the evening hours, said Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam. The clinics function from 8 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“On an average, 30 to 50 patients attend a mini clinic a day. They avail themselves of 12 services of the health and wellness centres that include those for non-communicable diseases and for simple ailments,” he said. The government was planning to establish the remaining clinics by this month-end.

On contract

Each clinic operates with a doctor, a staff nurse and a multi-purpose hospital worker. With no fresh recruitments made for the clinics, the Directorate has asked all Deputy Directors of Health Services to engage the services of medical officers on contract immediately only through the district health societies. As of now, the doctors of the Directorate have been diverted to the clinics.

In the recruitment, preference will be given to candidates from villages/ habitations/health sub-centre areas where the clinic is located. If not, individuals from blocks and taluks in rural locations and from a town panchayat, municipalities and corporations in urban areas where the clinic is located can be given preference. The salary for the medical officer will be ₹60,000 a month.

Applications invited

The Greater Chennai Corporation has called for applications for the posts of 200 medical officers, 200 staff nurses/mid-level healthcare providers and 200 hospital workers/attenders for the mini clinics and health and wellness centres on a consolidated pay of ₹60,000, ₹14,000 and ₹6,000 respectively.