Ayush doctors in Punjab are being asked to work as tele callers and data entry operators. This is causing frustration for the doctors who work for the government, even though the national government is trying to improve the medical system in India. At first, Ayush medical staff were hired by the Punjab government to help with Covid-19 response operations. This included tasks like testing and contact tracing. However, once the pandemic started to fade, civil surgeons were told not to give Ayush doctors these duties. Instead, they were given tasks like phone support and data entry.
Recently, over 100 Ayush doctors were designated to work in the control room in Jalandhar for the month of May. Some doctors were tasked with following up with pregnant women, while others inputted data related to Covid testing and sampling. Some doctors were also required to answer phone calls from customers looking for information.
However, these tasks go against the service norms of Ayush doctors, according to Dr. Inderjeet Singh Rana, state president of the NRHM Employees’ Association and national president of Ayushman India. This has also led to problems at Ayush dispensaries, where OPDs are suffering because doctors are being placed in control rooms.
