155 Ayurvedic doctors to handle Covid care centres

150 doctors among the 177 hired temporarily are BAMS graduates

The Pune Municipal Corporation has appointed 177 doctors on a temporary basis for handling the Covid-19 situation in the city. Among them, most are Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) doctors who specialise in Ayurveda.

A healthcare worker prepares before collecting oral swab samples at Sane Guruji Smarak, Sinhagad road. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

PMC municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said, “As the PMC is creating more Covid care facilities, it is requiring additional medical and paramedical manpower. Recently, the PMC published an advertisement for recruiting doctors on a temporary basis. PMC has given an appointment order for 177 doctors.”

150 doctors among the 177 hired temporarily are BAMS graduates and they will be serving at the Covid care centres across the city, according to Gaikwad.

In its efforts to conduct 1 lakh antigen tests for quick Covid results, the PMC also appointed a pathologist on contract basis who will conduct the test at various places.

The PMC was also facing a shortage of manpower for swab testing, which will also be done by the pathologist.

The PMC has begun a two-day training program for its newly recruited pathologist at the Naidu hospital.