Taking strict action against the protesting National Health Mission (NHM) employees, Haryana Government on Tuesday terminated the services of six office-bearers of the committee constituted under the NHM for participating in the strike, instigating the employees and disrupting Government health services in the State.
Affecting the health services in Government medical institutions, the NHM workers on Monday went on an indefinite strike demanding permanent jobs in the State Health Department. There are more than 10,000 NHM workers in Haryana. The six employees have been terminated with immediate effect, said the Health Minister Anil Vij.
Besides, an FIR might be registered against these office-bearers for instigating the employees and disrupting the health services. Similar action would be taken against those employees who participate in such strikes, said the Minister.
The NHM officials whose services have been terminated are president, NHM Association, Surender Gautam, vice-president Vijay Kamboj, general secretary Atul Gijwani and members, Vikram Soni, Tarandeep Singh and Pushkar Dahiya.
Describing the strike as illegal, the Health Minister said that all employees working under the NHM had been cautioned against going on strike.
These employees had been hired on contract basis under the Centre-run NHM for completing a specified task within a specified period. It has been clearly specified in their contracts that they could not stake claim for regularisation of their services, he added.
Vij said that in view of the prevalence of diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya in Haryana and in the neighbouring States, the strike amounted to abdication of responsibility and posed a grave risk to the health of patients and the society. They would not be allowed to risk the health of the people of the State. It seems that external forces are instigating the employees, he added.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) doctors have called off their proposed strike from October 27.
The Minister said that doctors should also not go on strike as they are gazetted officers. Haryana Government has increased the retirement age of doctors from 58 to 65 years. Apart from this, it has also been announced to enhance the allowance granted for conducting the post-mortem, which would soon be implemented. Under this, doctors and Class-IV employees would get Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 per post-mortem, he said.
Vij also claimed that external forces would not be allowed to instigate the employees, officers and doctors of the Health Department. Notice has already been issued to doctors not to proceed on strike. Cases would be registered against doctors going on strike, for instigating the employees and disrupting government health services, he added.
last month, the State Government had ordered to suspend lab technicians in the state, who had gone on strike despite increasing incidence of malaria, dengue and chikungunya. However, the suspension orders were later withdrawn by the Government.