BHUBANESWAR: Around 15,000
health workers working in field level announced here on Thursday that they will not take Covid-19 vaccine as a mark of protest against
state government's lackadaisical attitude in fulfilling their two demands- cadre restructuring and designation change. But they will help the government in vaccinating people by wearing black badges.
Under the aegis of
Odisha State Male and Female Multipurpose Health Workers'/Health Supervisors’ United Association, the members will wear black badges from January 15 as a symbolic protest. “If the government does not fulfil their demands, they will resort to strike from February 1,” said the association leaders at a press conference organised here on Thursday.
The united association has members from multipurpose health workers (male and female) and multipurpose
health supervisors (male and female) associations. Health workers are engaged for immunization programmes, village health and nutrition day work, health check-up of child and mother, leprosy and TB eradication programme, and keeping tab on other health issues of their locality. Besides, they render service during natural disasters. These works are being supervised by multipurpose health supervisors.
“Our members have played a significant role in village and primary health centre (PHC) level during Covid-19 pandemic time. We have motivated people to go for testing and created awareness among people about the disease. Our members have collected swabs from people during the
Covid time. We were keeping tabs on the people staying in home isolation or home quarantine. But we are not getting proper attention from the government,” Rabindranath Pradhan, general secretary of State Multipurpose Health Workers (Male) Association.
He said there is a provision of only one promotion in their lifetime (from health worker to health supervisor). “Some health workers do not even get one promotion too. Why this discrimination towards us? If other government employees get several promotions, why should we get only one? That’s why we demand our cadre restructuring,” he added.
Mamata Nayak from the united association said the government should take cognizance of another important aspect- ‘designation of our workers’. “Officers and common people call us workers and treat us like a labourer. Many of us are highly educated with B Pharm, UG, PG and professional degrees, so the government can give any other designation except this 'worker',” she added.
Bijay Kumar Patra, general secretary of State Multipurpose (Male) Health Supervisors’ Association, said they have already intimated the state government on November 16 and December 22 last year for discussion on the issue, but in vain. “Finally, we took this step to fulfil our demands,” he added.