Chennai : In a bid to tackle the acute shortage of doctors at Urban Health and Wellness Centres (UHWCs) in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced plans to recruit 60 doctors on a contractual basis. The initiative, under the Chennai City Urban Health Mission, is part of efforts to fully operationalise centres launched two years ago under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
However, the move has drawn criticism from city councillors, who are urging the government to offer permanent appointments instead of temporary contracts to ensure continuity and improved healthcare delivery.
UHWCs Plagued by Staff Shortages
Despite the launch of 500 UHWCs across Tamil Nadu by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in 2022, many centres in localities such as Manali, Madhavaram, KK Nagar, and Kodungaiyur continue to operate without doctors. Nurses and support staff often fill the gap, but this has led to rising patient dissatisfaction and overcrowding at nearby government hospitals and primary health centres.
“The UHWC in my ward serves around 80,000 people but hasn’t had a doctor for over a year,” said S Jeevan, MDMK councillor from Kodungaiyur. “Despite repeated complaints, nothing has changed. People are now turning to private clinics for even basic care.”
Temporary Roles, Permanent Problems
Under the new recruitment drive, doctors below the age of 40 will be offered ₹60,000 per month for an 11-month tenure. In addition to doctors, the GCC plans to recruit 60 nurses, multi-purpose health workers, and support staff. The appointments are expected to be completed by the end of April.
But councillors say the lack of job security and service recognition is discouraging candidates from taking up or retaining these roles.
“Doctors quit within three months,” said M Renuka, CPI councillor from Tondiarpet. “Most are just waiting for a PG seat or permanent Medical Recruitment Board (MRB) posting. If posts were permanent, their service would count toward the PG quota for in-service doctors, giving them long-term motivation to stay.”
Uneven Treatment for Essential Workers?
Councillors also questioned why permanent posts are being created for civil engineers in the GCC while critical health workers are still being appointed on contracts.
“There’s a real contradiction here,” said Jeevan. “If engineers can be made permanent, why not doctors who are the backbone of public healthcare?”
Way Forward
The situation highlights a larger concern over healthcare workforce planning in Tamil Nadu’s urban settings. While the government aims to strengthen primary healthcare through decentralised UHWCs, systemic issues like contractual hiring, poor retention, and lack of incentives continue to undermine these goals.
With mounting pressure from local representatives and an overburdened public health system, all eyes are now on whether the GCC and state health authorities will reconsider the nature of appointments and adopt a long-term staffing policy that can sustain the UHWCs.
