New Delhi: After 25 employees of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Chhattisgarh were sacked for leading a protest for a 10-point charter of demands, over 14,000 others, all contractual staffers, of the NHM in the state have en masse resigned.
According to a report in The Hindu, the strike, which is now in its 19th day (as of September 6), has disrupted essential health services, including nutrition rehabilitation centres and school health check-ups, posing a challenge for the BJP-led government.
The NHM employees began their agitation on August 18. The agitating NHM employees have been demanding regularisation of services, better pay, among other benefits. While the officials have claimed that the NHM executive committee accepted four of the 10 demands way back on August 13, the employees’ union claim no concrete steps have been taken.
“We do not want to continue the strike, but the government is leaving no room for dialogue,” Hemant Kumar Sinha, a dismissed staffer, told The Hindu. Sinha further asked if thousands of employees are protesting over the same set of demands, why is the NHM selectively dismissing only 25?
State’s Managing Director (NHM) Dr Priyanka Shukla told PTI that the August 13 executive committee meeting had already addressed many of the demands.
“Two demands – transparency in confidential report (CR) evaluation and 30 days of paid leave in cases of exigency or health issues – have been fulfilled. Two more demands, a 27 per cent salary hike and a minimum of Rs 10 lakh cashless health insurance, have also been accepted and are under process for implementation,” she said.
Dr. Amit Miri, state president of the NHM workers’ union, has claimed that during the 2023 Assembly poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) manifesto promised to resolve the problems of contractual health workers, mentioning [PM Narendra] Modi’s guarantee.
“But after 20 months of the formation of the government and after giving more than 160 memoranda to the Chief Minister, Health Minister, Finance Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, MLAs MPs, there was no hearing. So, 16,000 NHM employees decided to protest, which has been going on since August 18,” Dr. Miri, told The Hindu.
The Congress, which is in the opposition in the state, has accused the BJP government of “fuelling unrest” through inaction and harsh measures, including lathi-charging protesters.