NHM contract staff strike work from Thursday as state battles coronavirus

As many as 24,000 National Health Mission staffers in the state will strike work from Thursday as the government that had promised to establish a committee to look into their grievances hasn't issued an order yet for its formation.

The Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department Contractual and Outsource Employees Association (KSHCOEA) has issued a press release in this regard.

The timing of the strike could not have been worse, in the midst of a pandemic.

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Vishwaradhya H Y, President, KSHCOEA, said, "The government held a meeting a few days ago, where we were promised that a committee will be formed in two days. But even a GO for its formation has not been issued. So, we have decided to go on strike. Only 50% of the employees have been paid for April and May."

Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said, "At a time when the health department is required to rise to the challenge, they are going on a strike. If they do go on strike, we have to manage with our permanent employees. We did have a meeting with them and agreed to demands that were legal. We cannot regularise their services as the National Health Mission is a central government programme."

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.

It is said that Ramachandran R, Mission Director of NHM, Karnataka, had promised them salaries by May 31, but they haven't been paid yet. He did not respond to repeated calls from DH.

Dr Soumya T S, an AYUSH medical officer from Karwar, told DH, "I have neither received my April salary nor for May. We have loan instalments to pay. We worked long hours at checkpoints screening interstate passengers for Covid symptoms."

Some of the association's demands include ending the practice of outsourcing staff through agencies and giving them all facilities on par with permanent employees. They also want a special COVID-19 package. Life, accident and health insurances are the other demands.