The primary health services in the State are in for trouble and tumult because the distrust that that has brewed between the health department officials and the contractual workers of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for quite some time have touched troublesome points now.
The workers on Monday evening burnt effigies of Health officials alleging that the two top officials have tried to “threaten them” to back track from their demands instead of heeding to their grievances.
The contractual NRHM workers have been pressing for the fulfillment of their four point demands. These demands include -- a.) Implementation of the recommendations of the recommendation committee that made public its recommendations in December 2012, b.) Discard the reports of the appraisal committee, c.) Regularisation of jobs of para-medicos ad ANMs appointed by State government and d.) Giving bonafide salary hikes rather than giving hikes to the health workers who have not led the protest.
According to State President of Jharkhand State NRHM Contractual Employee’s Association Rahul Pratap Singh if the health department didn’t agree to comply with their demands they would intensify their protest going beyond just burning the effigies.
Detailing their protest plans Rahul said that they would lock up the civil surgeons’ office across the on July 3 and 4 which would be followed the locking up of the offices of Rural Health Mission and Directorate of Health at Namkom. They had also decided to register their protest when the union health secretary visits the State on July 8 by wearing black badges.
Earlier the Health Secretary in a warning letter issued to every civil surgeon had warned the contractual workers of consequences if they tried to lock up the Civil Surgeon’s offices. The secretary had said that the agitating workers would be suspended.
late on Monday evening also the officials of health department met to discuss the issues. “In the meeting we have not been invited for the reasons best known to these officials only. We discard the outcome of the meeting since we have not participated in it,” Rahul said.
The Health Secretary and Director-in-Chief Health were busy in meeting till late evening and they refused to say anything on the matter. “I am in meeting,’ is all health secretary said late on Monday evening by the time this report was filed.