Pune: Rajya Sabha MP Dr Medha Vishram Kulkarni met Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and brought to his attention two major issues: the long-pending pay revision of Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL) employees in Pune and the rising cases of post-Covid Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the hip joint.
During the meeting, Dr Kulkarni pointed out that HAL employees have been working on outdated 1997 pay scales for nearly 30 years. She said that although the HAL management has already submitted a detailed proposal for the 2007 pay revision to the concerned administrative ministry, along with all necessary clarifications, the matter is still awaiting approval. The prolonged delay, she added, has caused financial strain on employees and lowered staff morale.
Dr Kulkarni also highlighted the growing incidence of post-Covid AVN of the hip, an emerging health concern that is increasingly affecting young people and those in the working-age group across Maharashtra and other parts of the country. She explained that many patients who recovered from Covid-19 are now developing AVN, which leads to severe pain, disability and, in many cases, the need for early total hip replacement surgery. This has resulted in serious social and economic challenges for affected families.
Stressing the long-term health consequences of Covid-19, Dr Kulkarni urged the Union government to launch a nationwide study on post-Covid AVN, strengthen post-Covid health monitoring systems, and develop suitable policy measures. She requested the ministry to treat both matters as urgent issues in the larger public interest.
