SUHAIL RATHER
Bandipora, 06 Feb: The employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) continued their strike for the Twenty fourth day on Wednesday that has lead to worsening of situation in hospitals in absence of manpower.
The health services across the district were affected as the striking employees are demanding regularization of their services besides immediate fulfilment of the commitment made to them by then health Minister in January 2018.
Employees said that the government had promised us certain social security benefits last year but till date nothing has moved in, “we have no option but to hit roads,” said Aijaz Ahmad District President NHM Bandipora.
The worst hit is the rural health care where most of the sub-centers are closed form last thirteen days as the permanent staff members working in the centers were called by authorities to the main hospitals.
Locals said that in absence of trained NHM staff, most of the centers across villages are closed and even patients hesitate to visit the main Bandipora hospital were insufficient number of untrained volunteers are serving on the call of local officers.
Pertinently over 13,000 officials, including doctors, paramedics, and clerical staff, engaged under the NHM,RNTCP,JKSSCD,NACO,NCD and Mental Health in the state since 2006 are on protests from last 24 days demanding equal salary and regularisation of their service according to service rules.
They said the patients were facing inconvenience while getting treatment at the hospitals, adding that at most of the health centres only a single doctor was to see a huge rush of patients.
Apart from formation of regularization policy, the employees were demanding immediate implementation of Supreme Court directions of equal pay for equal work on the analogy of SRO-384, benefit of 7th Pay Commission on Haryana pattern, full leave package, removal of pay disparity, full medical cover and according to of EPF benefits for pending employees.
