Dialysis technicians demand regularisation of services

Dialysis technicians, who were recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) in 2021, staged a demonstration in the city on Wednesday to draw the attention of the Chief Minister to their demand for regularisation of services.

A total of 138 dialysis technicians recruited through MRB during the COVID-19 pandemic have been demanding regular posts. Subash, coordinator, MRB Dialysis Technicians Association, said that there were no permanent posts of dialysis technicians for nearly 30 years.

Of the 292 posts created, only 160 were recruited through MRB and 132 were waitlisted. Later, 120 technicians were posted under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).

“In the last five years, there has been a 60% increase in the number of dialysis machines and 80% increase in the number of patients but zero permanent dialysis technicians’ post. Only dialysis technicians recruited through MRB have not been regularised. About 4,100 various posts recruited through MRB have been regularised from 2021 to 2026,” he said.

They also demanded one technician per shift for every three dialysis machines as per Indian Society of Nephrology guidelines. There are 1,287 dialysis machines, and going by this guideline, at least 800 technicians are required but only 200 technicians are in place, he said.

The association demanded doing away with contractual appointments of technicians through the CMCHIS and urged the government to make permanent appointments.