Chandigarh, March 24: The Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini here today, approved amendments to the Haryana Health Department Para-Medical and Miscellaneous Posts (State Group ‘C’) Service Rules, 1998, to update and rationalise the qualifications for the post of Operation Theatre Assistant (OTA).
The decision has been taken in view of significant changes in medical education and training over the years. Earlier, the essential qualification for the post included a specific Operation Theatre Assistant course from institutions such as PGIMER, Chandigarh. However, such diploma-level courses have been discontinued since 2009 and replaced with degree-based programmes such as Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology (Operation Theatre/Anesthesia).
Recognising this shift, the Cabinet has approved revised eligibility criteria aligned with current academic standards. Under the amended rules, candidates for direct recruitment will now be required to have 10+2 with Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Mathematics) along with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology (Operation Theatre/Anesthesia) from a recognised institution or university. Provisions relating to knowledge of Hindi or Sanskrit have also been retained.
The amendments also rationalise eligibility conditions for appointments through promotion and deputation. For promotion, candidates must have 10+2 with Science and at least five years of experience as a Group-D employee in the operation theatre of a government health institution. For deputation, candidates must possess the prescribed educational qualifications along with relevant experience as an Operation Theatre Assistant.
The move is expected to ensure availability of suitably qualified technical staff in operation theatres across government health institutions, while aligning recruitment norms with contemporary medical education standards.
