Release salaries of NHM doctors, para medical staff: U T Khader

Mangaluru MLA U T Khader urged the chief minister to take immediate steps to release the salaries of doctors, lab technicians and nurses appointed under National Health Mission (NHM).

If the government fails to release the amount, then the Congress will be forced to launch an agitation, he warned.

"If the government had any concern for covid warriors, they would have released the salaries of doctors and paramedical staff, serving on contract basis for two months," he told reporters on Saturday.

"As many as 600 personnel appointed under NHM in Dakshina Kannada and 23,000 across Karnataka were waiting for their monthly salary for the past two months," said Khader.

Khader also objected to the state government's decision on imposing restrictions on interstate travel.

“It is the duty of the government to take care of Kannadigas and Tuluvas stranded outside the state. The railway bogies converted to isolation wards in Mangaluru should be utilised for quarantining those who have come from other states and Gulf countries,” he said.

“The Kannadigas working outside the state and country had always lent financial assistance to those in distress. Now, they are in distress and it is the duty of the government to lend a helping hand. The state government should elaborate on their plan on how they will lift the restrictions on interstate travel,” he insisted.

When there are more tests for Covid-19 cases, the death will be less as precautionary measures can be taken to treat the infection in the beginning stages. The government should upgrade the facilities at Covid-19 testing laboratory at Wenlock Hospital, to test more samples by installing more machines and deploying staff for the purpose.

The MLA said about 20% of the people from border areas in Dakshina Kannada are working in Kerala and vice versa. With the ban on movement of vehicles to Kerala, people are afraid of losing their jobs. DK and Kasaragod district administrations should list people working in Kasaragod and Mangaluru and make arrangements on issuing a special pass for them in order to help them travel daily to their workplace and back.