240 appointments, 2,000 candidates, 200 vacancies: Promotion deadlock stalls health department hiring

KOZHIKODE: More than 200 posts of health inspectors and allied field staff remain vacant across Kerala even as the state faces a seasonal rise in dengue and other vector-borne diseases, with delayed promotions and poor vacancy reporting blamed for slowing recruitment.

Vacancies exist in several categories, including technical assistants, health supervisors, health inspectors and Junior Health Inspectors (JHI) Grades 1 and 2. Although the Kerala Public Service Commission's rank list has been in force for the past two years, appointments have been far fewer than expected. Of the nearly 2,000 candidates included in the Junior Health Inspector Grade 2 rank list, only around 240 have received appointments so far.

Rank holders say the vacancies are not being reported accurately and that promotions within the department have virtually stalled. According to them, many employees eligible for promotion are choosing to remain in their existing posts to avoid transfers, leaving higher posts unfilled and delaying appointments further down the ladder.

The shortage has begun to affect routine public health work. Besides disease surveillance and mosquito-control activities, health inspectors are responsible for a range of duties in local self-government institutions, including birth and death registration, licensing, vaccination programmes and other public health services. Several local bodies have reportedly hired temporary staff using their own funds to keep these services running.

Meghamohan S., president of the JHI Rank Holders State Committee, said the delay in promotions has become the biggest obstacle to filling vacancies and urged the government to resolve the issue without further delay.