JAMMU: Under the banner of the UT Level Coordination Committee of NHM Employees J&K, National Health Mission (NHM) employees across Jammu Division on Wednesday observed the first day of a 72-hour strike-cum-protest, pressing for resolution of their long-pending demands.
Protests were held at district and block headquarters across Jammu Division under the leadership of Provincial President, JKNHMEA Jammu Division, Dr Vikas Sharma. Employees from various categories, including doctors, paramedical and management staff, besides personnel associated with NTEP and other schemes, participated in the strike.
The protesting workforce included employees serving at Sub-Centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, District Hospitals and Government Medical Colleges.
As part of the announced strike programme, NHM employees suspended routine as well as emergency services, affecting healthcare delivery across the division, particularly in urban, rural and remote areas.
Carrying placards and raising slogans, the employees sought a comprehensive job policy, golden handshake, retirement benefits, social security benefits, EPF coverage for all eligible categories and loyalty benefits for left-out NHM employees, among other demands.
The employees said they had rendered dedicated and uninterrupted services to the Health Department for years, spending what they described as the prime and most productive period of their lives serving the healthcare system. Despite their prolonged contribution, they said their future remains uncertain in the absence of adequate job and social security provisions.
The strike comes a day after a meeting in Srinagar with Health Minister Sakina Itoo and Mission Director, NHM J&K, Akriti Sagar, IAS. According to the association, the meeting remained inconclusive, with no consensus reached on the financial implications associated with the employees’ demands.
The association maintained that its doors remain open for meaningful dialogue with the government and reiterated its commitment to resolving the issues through constructive, peaceful and democratic means.
Appealing for government intervention, the association urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to address the long-pending demands at the earliest. It also cautioned that continued agitation could lead to further disruption of healthcare services and said the government would be responsible for any adverse impact on healthcare delivery arising from the prolonged protest.
The association appealed to NHM employees to remain united, maintain discipline and extend full solidarity throughout the 72-hour strike-cum-protest programme.
It further highlighted the impact of the agitation on healthcare delivery across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in rural and far-flung areas where a substantial portion of the healthcare workforce is engaged under NHM.
The association urged the government to take serious note of the situation and initiate steps for an early resolution, maintaining that restoring normal healthcare services and safeguarding patient interests require an immediate settlement of the employees’ genuine demands.
