National Health Mission workers carry out fierce protest in Pune

By: Pune pulse

November 20, 2023

Pune: Several workers of the National Health Mission took out a grand protest from the Pune Zilla Parishad Office to the Pune District Collector Office on Monday.

As per information shared by Dr. Nitin Kadam, Medical Officer, Civil District Hospital, Aundh, from October 25, 2023, an indefinite strike has been going on across the state for various demands. In the protest, contract officers and employees working in all positions from district-level officers to taluka-level officers are participating.

Rashtriya Arogya Abhiyan was implemented in Maharashtra in 2005 and the contributions of National Health Mission (NHM) workers in providing medical care are very large in Maharashtra. But the government has cheated them. The contractual officers and employees working under the National Health Mission have protested many times for their various demands but the government has only given assurances & never considered their demands, voiced the protestors. 

Thus, the massive protest was carried out till Pune District Collector’s Office on Monday by NHM workers.

The major demands of NHM workers are:

1) For the last eighteen years, the staff under the National Health Mission has been rendering continuous medical service in the health department. Hence, all the said employees should be included 100% government service.

2) Initially, Rs 6000/- to Rs 8000/- salary and currently Rs 17000/- to Rs 18000/- salary is given to the NHM employees. Hence, all the NHM employees should be paid like regular employees.

3) All the contract staff working under Rashtriya Arogya Abhiyan risked their lives and rendered their services during the COVID-19 period indiscriminately but the government does not care about these staff as PF, Insurance, etc haven’t been provided. Hence, the government should immediately provide all health-related rules like ESIC, PF, HRA, and Insurance to all NHM employees like regular employees.

4) Employees and officers under the National Health Mission were provided an increased salary from Rs 18000/- to Rs 20000/- in 2018 but due to the said rationalization, there is no increase in salary for the employees who have completed 10 years. Hence, the government should give a 50% salary hike to all NHM employees.

5) Since 2005, employees were allowed an 8% salary increment every year. However, the government decreased the salary increment percentage from 8% to 5%. Hence, the remaining unpaid 3% wage hike should be implemented immediately.

6) Contractual staff are also serving in the health department in the same manner as the regular post employees. But why such a difference in wages after providing the same service? The discrepancy should be resolved immediately.

7) States like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab in India give grade pay to NHM employees like regular employees, but Maharashtra still does not provide grade pay facility like other states.

Shreyas Vange