Raipur: Despite a stern warning from the Chhattisgarh govt, thousands of employees under the National Health Mission (NHM) on Saturday declared that they will continue their indefinite strike. Around 16,000 health staff across the state have been on strike since August 18, affecting healthcare services.
On Friday, the state govt issued a directive stating that the principle of ‘no work, no pay’ would be applied to NHM officials and employees absent from duty. The department of health and family welfare instructed all chief medical and health officers (CMHOs) not to release salaries of those absent this month.
The order also directed CMHOs in every district to submit details of employees who remained absent since August 18 and to issue show-cause notices, warning that disciplinary action, including termination, would follow if they fail to resume work. The govt termed the strike “against public interest and completely unjustified.”
“Health services across the state have been disrupted as more than 16,000 contractual NHM workers are on strike. The child vaccination programme has nearly come to a halt,” claimed Chhattisgarh NHM Karmachari Sangh General Secretary Kaushlesh Tiwari. He said the union submitted 160 memorandums to the state govt outlining their ten-point demands, but without result.
According to Tiwari, NHM employees staged massive demonstrations in Raipur and Bilaspur on Friday and began striking in their respective district headquarters from Saturday.
Meanwhile, with NHM workers absent, the burden has shifted entirely to regular staff. “The vaccination work has been affected. We cannot increase the number of counters because there are no staff,” a govt hospital official said.
The key demands of the striking staff include regularisation of services, grade pay determination, transparency in performance evaluation, and special leave provisions for women employees, said State NHM Karmachari Sangh President Dr Amit Miri, who is also participating in the strike.
When asked about vaccination status, Bilaspur CMHO Dr Shubha Garewal told TOI that the programme continues through regular staff. “Every Tuesday and Friday are vaccination days for children. If there is a rush, those waiting are advised to return the next day for smooth management. Vaccination has not been affected by the strike,” she clarified.
Chhattisgarh health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, while talking to a media on Saturday said that NHM employees have been on strike for a long time. He said the “no work, no pay” rule will apply to all contractual employees.
The minister clarified that the regularisation of NHM employees will depend on the Centre’s approval. He said that some of their demands, such as a 22% pay hike, a transfer policy, and 30 days of medical leave, have been agreed to, but regularisation is only possible with a decision from the central govt.
The “no work, no pay” policy means that contractual employees will not be paid for the days they do not work, the minister said.
10-POINT DEMANDS OF NHM WORKERS
– Job security through merger
– Establishment of Public Health Cadre
– Determination of grade pay
– Improvement in performance evaluation system
– Pending 27% salary hike
– Reservation of seats in regular recruitment
– Compassionate appointment
– Provision for medical or other leave
– Transfer policy
– Minimum Rs 10 lakh medical insurance
