NHM employees continue to suffer due to delayed salaries

Srinagar, Aug 06: The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association on Monday expressed resentment against the government over delayed monthly salaries due to which they continue to suffer.
In J&K, nearly 11,000 employees are working across various hospitals under the National Health Mission (NHM) and tirelessly providing services without receiving their salaries on a regular basis. These employees have been without pay for the past two months.
Chief Spokesperson of JKNHMEA, Abdul Rauoof said the employees work in different hospitals tirelessly without being credited salary on regular basis.
“These frontline workers perform their legitimate duties without risk allowances. We urge the authorities to redress the grievances of salary on priority,” he said.
The employees said it has become a routine from the government that they don’t credit salaries on time and it takes months without bothering about the sufferings of employees.
“Many employees are lone breadwinners and many have patients at home. The employees are desperate and we are working 24 hours and augment the health services to general masses, but in return we have been deprived from our basic dues,” Rauoof said.
The Incumbent President of JKNHMEA, Muneer Andrabi has urged LG to take cognizance of the matter and initiate process with regard to their job security, so that they continue to put their best and concerted efforts for achievement of the objective of the mission.
The Chief Spokesperson of the association said there is complete apathy on part of the government and nothing seems to move and concerned officers do not listen to them.
“The authorities are forcing us to hit the streets, we provide health care not only in urban but also in rural and far off hospitals of J&K,” he said.
The NHM employees said they have on several occasions raised their genuine demands and grievances before the government but they have only got fake assurances.
“Government should wake up and realize the problems of employees and come up with a concrete policy if they care for healthcare so that we also do not suffer anymore,” they said.
Mission Director, NHM, J&K, Nazim Zai Khan said he has been informed that the Finance Department J&K will release the instalment within a day or two.
“The employees are facing the salary issues because of the fact that the monthly bill of employees engaged under NHM has gone up very high and we are dependent on the release of instalments from the Government of India for meeting out the salary,” he said.
Khan said the funds come from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India and once the instalment is released then Finance Department J&K releases it.
“We have time and again requested them that the salary is getting delayed and do it quickly. I am sure they would be working on it at the administrative level,” he said.