Srinagar
The National Health Mission Employees Association (NHMEA) today said that the NHM employees have been tirelessly working on the frontlines and it was the high time to resolve the issues they are confronting for long now.
The Association has decided to hold weekly symbolic protest across all the hospitals of J&K in order to press for their demands.
In a statement issued here, NHMEA said that NHM employees have been at the forefront of all challenges the State has faced over a period of more than the last one decade.
The President NHMEA, Muneer Andrabi said that with an aim to highlight our plight and press for urgent resolution of our demands, the Association has decided to hold weeklong symbolic protests in all hospitals.
“To start with a social and mainstream media campaign shall be held from the 20th of May. Brief symbolic protests shall be held by NHM staff holding message placards and wearing message badges and black bands on top of PPE gears,” he said.
“All employees shall actively share and disseminate the protest pictures/videos and other messages on all social media platforms. The powerful message shall be displayed to draw attention towards the services and sacrifices of NHM employees,” he said.
Chief Spokesperson, NHMEA, Abdul Rauoof said: “Be it conflict situation, unrests, floods, and health-related emergencies, NHM employees have never said ‘No’ to any challenge, despite being faced with gross discrimination.”
He said that once again, we are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 despite working against meager wages, and without any kind of job or social security.
He lamented that time and again the authorities concerned have been apprised about the exploitation and inequities the doctors, paramedics, and managerial staff are facing, “however, the authorities have done little to address our grievances,” he said.
Andrabi said that the Government of J&K had, in January 2018, given a written assurance about all the demands and sets up a group of officers for redressal of our demands. “However, despite the passage of more than 2 years, the redressal of our burning issues is still pending,” he said.
Abdul Rauoof said that we repeat our requests to higher-ups and impress that our long-pending demands are met.
“We appeal Lt Governor G C Murmu, Advisor of Lt Governor Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary BVR Subramanyam, Financial Commissioner H&ME Atal Dulloo and Mission Director NHM, Bhupinder Kumar to expedite the resolution of demands,” he said.
The demands include: Formulation of a job/regularization policy, enhancement of wages of all categories of NHM staff, provision of social security benefits to all categories.
