Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 12 August 2025
Highlighting the ongoing healthcare crisis in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Member of Parliament Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray has called on the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to urgently approve eight critical health sector proposals submitted by the UT Administration.
During his interaction with the Health Ministry’s Secretary on 11 August, Mr. Ray underscored the importance of timely sanctioning the following pending proposals:
1. Creation of 18 Group-A and Group-B posts under the Directorate of Health Services.
2. Award of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) for doctors in the Grade of GDMO (NFSG).
3. Creation of posts under ANIIMS (Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences).
4. Merger of Specialist and Super Specialist posts at ANIIMS, GB Pant Hospital, CHCs, and PHCs with the CHC cadre.
5. Exemption for forming the UT Council for Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) with existing members.
6. Renewal/continuation of 99 temporary plan posts and 44 non-plan posts under the Directorate of Health Services.
7. Upgradation of Physiotherapists’ pay scale to match other UTs such as Puducherry.
8. Creation of 44 Group-C posts for Health Workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs).
Mr. Ray stressed that health services form an essential public utility, and the availability of adequate medical, paramedical, and support staff is crucial for delivering quality healthcare in the Islands’ remote and geographically challenging environment. The prolonged delay in clearing these proposals, he warned, is exacerbating the health crisis and impairing service delivery.
He urged the Ministry to expedite approvals to safeguard the functioning of health units and protect the lives and well-being of the people in this strategically vital region.
Reiterating the urgency, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray emphasized that along with clearing the pending proposals, immediate measures to address the shortage of specialist doctors and medicines must be undertaken to prevent further deterioration of healthcare services in the Islands.
