The North News
Chandigarh, December 16
The Punjab government has approved the recruitment of 1,568 auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and staff nurses under the National Health Mission (NHM), in a move aimed at easing staff shortages and strengthening the state’s healthcare system. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the clearance, given by the finance department, would allow the health and family welfare department to fill 729 vacant ANM posts out of a sanctioned strength of 2,000, and 839 staff nurse posts out of 1,896 sanctioned positions. All appointments will be made on a contractual basis.
Cheema said the government had prioritised filling vacant posts to ensure healthcare services were not disrupted. He added that the annual financial outlay for the recruitment drive was estimated at ₹48.88 crore, including ₹18.98 crore for ANMs and ₹29.90 crore for staff nurses. Under the approved pay structure, ANMs will receive a monthly remuneration of ₹21,700, while staff nurses will be paid ₹29,700, he said.
The recruitment process is expected to be conducted through a written examination by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot, with the condition that the health department secures the required concurrence from the personnel department. The finance minister said the decision reflected the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s focus on healthcare and education, and would help improve access to medical services across the state by strengthening the frontline health workforce.
