Port Blair, Sept. 16: Different types of posts of Pharmacist are lying vacant in the health department. As per the last published Provisional Seniority list of pharmacist, only 98 posts are filled out of 124 sanctioned. This 124 posts of Pharmacist is as per the sanctioned strength of 2004. Later two more PHC became functional viz. PHC Chouldari & PHC Kishorinagar but the post of Pharmacists in these two PHC were never created.

PHC Garacharma is proposed to be upgraded as District Hospital and PHC Tushnabad as CHC by the administration.  Moreover the daily patient in the OPD has increased manifold in almost all Health institutions since 2004. There is an urgency to reassess the workload as per the OPD cases in all health institution and posting of sufficient Pharmacist in all the Health institution is urgently required. Last year vacancy notice for 25 posts of Pharmacist was published but recruitment process is not yet completed.

The Indian Pharmacist Association in a letter to the Principal Secretary (Health) has demanded for immediate completion of the recruitment process of Pharmacist and posting of at-least Five Pharmacist in every CHC where OPD cases are more than 250 per day, four Pharmacist in CHC where OPD is less than 250 per day and two Pharmacist in every PHC.

The IPA apprised the Secretary that in the year 2002, two posts of drug inspector were created & it was mentioned that it could be increased depending on work load. Various cases under NDPS Act are being registered almost daily and the notified post of Drug Inspector is very much essential to curb the menace of drug abuse. It is assumed that the post of drug inspector could be increased to at-least 05 along with 01 Assistant Drug Control (ADC) as work load has increased manifold. One ADC & three full time drug inspector are required for South Andaman district & one each for North & Middle and Nicobar District. It is pertinent to mention here that there is no full time Drug Inspector is posted/ working under A & N health department as of now.

Likewise in the case of Chief Pharmacist, two posts were created when there were two hospitals – G B Pant, Port Blair & BJR Car Nicobar, whereas of now RP hospital Mayabunder and District Hospital Garacharma are also there which accumulates to total of 04 hospitals. This thereby necessitates the provision of at-least four posts of Chief Pharmacist under the DHS. IPA therefore has demanded filling up of the present two posts of Chief Pharmacist which is lying vacant since 2017 even though eligible candidate is present in the feeder post.

One post of B. Pharm tutor is also lying vacant under Nursing School under the DHS since long time. IPA demands for filling up of this post of B.Pharm tutor.

As the number of posts and vacancies are limited in these islands the IPA has requested that filling up of posts of ADC, Drugs Inspector and Chief Pharmacist must be done on promotional basis as the qualified B. Pharm graduates are evenly posted along with Diploma and Non-Diploma Pharmacist under the DHS without any monetary or positional benefit. Even there is no promotional channel for those B. Pharm Pharmacist working under DHS. These filling up of post of ADC, DI & Chief Pharmacist on promotion in seniority basis will at-least justifiy the deserving status of these B.Pharm Pharmacist under DHS. 

The IPA also apprised that several recruitments for the different types of posts under ANIMERS were done, but not a single post of Pharmacist was recruited. It is learned that good number of post of Pharmacists could be recruited under ANIIMS.