Madhya Pradesh Govt Scraps Circular Asking Health Workers To 'Sterilise At Least One Man Or Lose Job'

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday withdrew a circular that had asked multi-purpose health workers (MPHWs) to meet sterilisation targets or else their salaries would be withheld and they would be given compulsory retirement.

"MP government has withdrawn circular on sterilisation," Health Minister Tulsi Silawat said after the circular sparked controversy.

The circular asked each of MPHW to get at least get one man sterilised in this fiscal which ending March 31 or else their salaries would be withheld and they would be given compulsory retirement.

The move by the state unit of the National Health Mission has come after the National Family Health Survey-4 report recorded that only 0.5 per cent men were opting for sterilisation in Madhya Pradesh.

Bashing the Congress government, former chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state is living in an undeclared emergency. 

मध्यप्रदेश में अघोषित आपातकाल है। क्या ये कांग्रेस का इमर्जेंसी पार्ट-2 है? एमपीएचडब्ल्यू (Male Multi Purpose Health Workers) के प्रयास में कमी हो, तो सरकार कार्रवाई करे, लेकिन लक्ष्य पूरे नहीं होने पर वेतन रोकना और सेवानिवृत्त करने का निर्णय, तानाशाही है। #MP_मांगे_जवाब pic.twitter.com/Fl7Q8UM9dX

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 21, 2020

On February 11, the NHM shot off the circular slugged "Extremely Important" and asked the top divisional officers and district officers including with health department to identify male workers with zero work output and apply the no work no pay principle if they dont motivate at least one male vasectomy least this fiscal.

The circular issued by the states NHM Mission Director states that MPHWs should mobilise at least five to 10 willing beneficiaries when camps are held in districts.

(With PTI inputs)