(Special Correspondent)
Chennai: The state Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday ruled out the prevalence of Omicron variant BF.7 in the state.
He categorically stated that no case of such variant, which is believe to be the reason for surve in Covid-19 cases in China and elsewhere in the world. “So far, we received no such reports from any corner of the state,” he pointed out in a social media channel interview.
He said 13 Covid-19 positive amples collected from international passengers, including two from China, the results of six of them are out and all of them tested positive for the already circulating Omicron virus variants.
According to them, of the six, two samples were that of a mother-daughter duo from China. They tested positive for BA.2 variant. The sample of a passenger who came from Muscat was tested positive for BA.2, 10.1 and a sample of another passenger from Bangkok tested positive for BA.2.10.1. “These are the variants that are on the prwl in the country for the last si months,” he pointed out.In the last two months, he claimed 93 samples were sent to WGS, of which 91 tested positive for Omicron variant and two for delta variants. The Minister said on the protest launched by nurses recruited through Medical Recruitment Sevices Board (MRB), they will be provided a government job under various government schemes. He said in 2019, the health department recruited 2,345 nurses through MRB, and among them 2,323 already joined their duties.
“Again in 2020 April, the health department called 5,736 who had already applied for duty, of which around 2,366 nurses were absorbed without certificate verification, communal rotation and others during Covid-19,” he pointed out
The Supreme Court and High Courts had passed various orders saying people, who joined duty without communal rotation. should not continue in job. Though they were recruited violating the rules, Chief Minister MK Stalin had instructed not to sack them immediately as they worked during Covid, he said. “Now also, it is not the intention of the health department to sack them. There are vacancies in the department and these people can be accommodated there. But, since the courts are against the way they were recruited, it is difficult to give them salary for the last five months,” Subramanian added.
Chief Minister has taken a decision that 2,301 nurses (who are on duty now) who were recruited in 2020 without following norms can be recruited for 2,700 vacant posts available in the directorate of public health alone, and also for Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme and Delhi model Mohalla clinics that are planned in Tamil Nadu. “These nurses will get a salary of Rs 18,000 from January. They were earlier getting Rs 14,000,” Subramanian added. “The nurses’ demand of job regularisation is not possible now.
