It’s Time to Leave the Health Department Alone and Let it Heal

The Covid appointees’ issue has been dragging for far too long and so the state government should be appreciated for its magnanimity to regularise the service of these health workers and there is no politic involved here. But having said that, the state cabinet decision of 3rd February 2026 to constituting HPC just to talk to an organisation which is remotely connected to the issue is surprising, because here the term of reference is simple and very limited. I may be wrong but this matter may not be the job of a High-power committee, rather a group of ministers or MLAs entrusted with the task will do a much better job. Moreover, the decision to put the regularisation order on hold is also not tenable because the state government cannot overturn a judicial decision that has upheld its previous action. Once a court of competent jurisdiction has adjudicated on a matter it attains finality and the executive is bound by that decision.

Human memory is short but when the government of India declared a nation-wide lockdown on 20th March 2020 as a drastic measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we all had the most difficult times in our lives where we could not even bury our loved ones with respect. Our memory is still vivid where excavators (JCB) were deployed to bury the deaths and there was no body to give even the last prayer. During this time, this group of doctors were appointed against the posts created specifically to combat the deadly pandemic and they rendered their services to keep us safe, knowing well what could happen to them. They put their service before their loved ones, and I believe regularising their service is a fitting tribute for their sacrifices. Well, this might not be a perfect dispensation and yet it was the best option available to the state government and the state cabinet took a conscious decision which is upheld by the Hon’ble Courts. These doctors were looked upon as villains, mocked, and even dragged to the courts for no fault of theirs. They are our heroes and I don’t think they deserve these brickbats.

Since the Health department has already issued regularisation order, it’s time we put a stop to all these and bring this matter to a closure. The aggrieved parties have gone to the courts and the judgements are now in public domain, and so no organisation has any right to play spoilsport at this stage. This stalemate already has had a cascading effect on the overall health care delivery system in the state as regular recruitment could not take place for the last few years, and so there is acute shortage of manpower in many health centres. Let’s leave the health department alone and let it heal from now.

Moatemsu