As Maharashtra battles a rising number of coronavirus cases, the government is considering filling up 17,000 vacant posts in the public health department across the state and is mulling how to start the appointment process during the lockdown.
Health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said the government will find a way out in the next two days to fill up the vacant posts in the key department, whose functioning has become crucial in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
He also announced setting up a mega quarantine facility for residents of Dharavi, a slum-dominated COVID-19 hotspot in Mumbai.
In a televised message, Tope said, In the next two days, I, along with chief minister and chief secretary, will find out how to fill up the 17,000 vacant posts in the public health department across the state."
"The lockdown is on but we will try to find out a solution to recruit qualified people, he said.
There are some pending promotions in state-run establishments that come under the public health ministry, said Tope.
The minister said the New Delhi-based Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has asked the state government to put more number of people from Dharavi under institutional quarantine.
The ICMR has asked the state to increase the number of people in institutional quarantine in Mumbais Dharavi area. Social distancing norms could not be strictly followed in (densely populated) areas like Dharavi.
"Hence, we have decided to create space to put some 2,000 people under institutional quarantine, he said.