Health volunteers seek better pay

Tirupur: A group of women health volunteers staged a demonstration outside the district collectorate on Monday under the aegis of Makkalai Thedi Maruthuva Uzhiyargal Sangam, seeking a better pay.
They also urged the state government to deposit the salary in their bank accounts directly, instead of handing the same over to the self-help groups for disbursal.
A similar protest was held by the women health volunteers in Coimbatore as well to draw the government’s attention to their demands.
Speaking to the media in Tirupur, S Kavitha, district president, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuva Uzhiyargal Sangam, said the monthly salary of 4,500 that was fixed by the state government for the volunteers was insufficient.
“We meet the residents at their doorsteps to check if they were suffering from diabetes and hypertension. We also do the data entry work for Covid vaccination and population health registry. Yet, we are paid only 4,500 a month. This is inadequate.”
Kavitha said there was a delay in paying them the salary and the same must be regularized.
In Coimbatore, the volunteers sought the government to regularize the part-time women health volunteers, provide a monthly salary of 21,000 and offer a month’s salary as Diwali bonus.
They also urged the government to provide them certain benefits like closed holidays and identity cards.