National Health Mission workers withdraw proposed strike call

The proposed strike by nearly 30,000 contract staff appointed under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the State from Thursday was withdrawn late in the night on Wednesday after the government agreed to consider their demands. The strike was likely to affect COVID-19 activities, including contact tracing, surveillance, and hospital functioning in the State.

Demanding equal pay for equal work, regularisation of services and a comprehensive COVID package for the contract employees, the NHM workers had decided to strike work under the banner of Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department Contractual and Outsource Employees Association (KSHCOEA).

‘GO not issued’

Association president Vishwaradhya H.Y. said although the Health Minister had convened a meeting a few days ago and had promised that a committee would be set up look into their demands, it was yet to issue a Government Order on setting up of the committee.

“Although contract workers have been slogging ever since the pandemic broke out, more than half of them have not got their salaries for the last two months,” he said.

On salaries

NHM Mission Director R. Ramachandran, who was transferred on Wednesday, said the salaries were delayed as the process of validation from districts took time due to COVID-19. “We have sorted out the issue and salaries have been disbursed to the districts. Employees in 22 districts have got their salaries and for the remaining it is under bank processing,” he said.

Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said Health Minister B. Sriramulu had requested them to withdraw their strike during this crucial time. “If they do not withdraw, we we will continue to provide services with our available permanent staff.”

The contractual employees include doctors and nurses working in COVID-19 wards of taluk hospitals and urban primary health centres acting as fever clinics and in surveillance programmes. They also include lab technicians and group ‘D’ staff. They worked long hours at checkposts before health screening was suspended at checkpoints.