Corporation to hire 537 temporary health workers | Chennai News – The Times of India

Chennai: As part of the monsoon preparedness, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will hire 537 temporary health workers through self-help groups across zones 1 to 15. Their one-year contract will run from Oct 3 to Oct 2, 2026. The decision was tabled in the council meeting after recommendations from standing committees on public health and finance.In the Thiruvottiyur zone, with 14 wards and nearly 55,000 households, 153 workers will be appointed. Similarly, in the Tondiarpet zone, which stretches across wards 34 to 48 with more than 93,000 households, 142 workers will be appointed. GCC officials said the remaining zones will also see similar appointments depending on the population and number of households.The civic body currently has only 24 permanent health workers in some of these areas, making additional manpower essential. The workers will be responsible for mosquito-control measures such as spraying larvicides in water containers, fogging through handheld and mini fogging machines, clearing clogged canals, and preventing mosquito breeding in stagnant water. They will also conduct fever surveillance, record cases of communicable diseases, and check construction sites and households for mosquito larvae.Each worker will be paid a daily wage of 753, with the total estimated cost running over 8 crore for one year across the zones. Funds have been allocated under the health department’s budget. Officials said the measure is critical to strengthen disease prevention and public health safety in the city during the monsoon and beyond.Deputy mayor M Mahesh Kumar told TOI: “Apart from vector control, the health workers will help prevent waterborne diseases, and organize special and regular health camps. They will also assist in seizing banned plastic and unsafe meat to safeguard public health.”