Bhopal: The ongoing strike of the contractual health workers in state is likely to hit National Pulse Polio campaign, the second phase of which is to be kicked off on Sunday all across the country. First phase of the Pulse Polio Immunization programme concluded on January 28.The employees’ agitation which entered 19th day on Friday has paralyzed the health services in the state.
The government though has warned the striking employees to resume their duties or else their services will be automatically treated as ‘terminated’, however, the threat did not deter the health workers to end the stir.
Over 19,000 contractual health workers are protesting since February 19 demanding regularization and reinstatement of terminated health workers in the state. The health department has to differ and reschedule its number of programmes like workshops, seminars and camps due to ongoing agitation of health workers. Health check-up camps, which were to be held on March 11, have been postponed and rescheduled for April 11.
Accredited social health activists (ASHAs), Urban Social Health Activist (USHA) Auxiliary nurse midwife, commonly known as ANM—work under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and other contractual workers are striking their work.
Accusing the government of having apathetic attitude towards the contractual employees, health employees association general secretary Laxmi Narayan Sharma said that the authorities were not considering their demands seriously.
“Instead the government warning of termination directed the agitators to resume duty by March 13. We have extended our support to the agitating employees as their demands are genuine and in next few days we will convene a meeting of executive body to discuss the issue.
