White-coats walk out in protest: Chhattisgarh’s health workers are on strike

Rahul Chakradhari is a pharmacist and permanent employee at a primary health center (PHC) in Rasela, a village close to the Odisha border of Chhattisgarh. However, the current conditions forced him to go beyond the scope of his duties. Not only does it distribute medication; It also prescribes them in some cases.

Chakradhari said that the National Health Mission (NHM) worker connected to more than 14,000 contracts had to do so because of a personnel crack arising from a state -wide strike. One of all three health workers – from doctors and nurses to pathologists and auxiliary nurse midwives – does not report for the task. Permanent employment, better payment and good working conditions between 10 strikes on the 24th day, entering the 24th day, from regional hospitals to Arogya Magazine (Health and Healthy Life Centers) influenced health facilities at all levels.

In RASELA PHC, the second nurse is the second in the hierarchy after the registered medical assistant-tıbbi officer or responsible doctor-and both are contracted NHM workers. A PHC serves 20,000-30,000 people according to NHM norms and is considered the first contact point between the village community and the doctor. The doctor at RAŞELA PHC was withdrawn to serve in a community health center elsewhere due to the shortage of strikes of medical experts.

Read also: Nhm left more than 14,000 contract staff for the government’s 25 agitators in Chhattisgarh.

“This is the increase in cases of viral fever.

Each health center has similar stories: Funds for stopped vaccination, non -working programs, affected routine controls, reporting uncomfortable diseases and inadequate projects for inadequate projects.

Protesters showed 10 demands, including permanent employment instead of contract -based employment, 27% salary increase and the establishment of a public health staff. The Chhattisgarh government claims that it has fulfilled five demands, including a salary hike, but only 5%. NHM workers say that they are stretched in various ways, including working in difficult places to reach and the lack of regular government employees.

NHM workers have been protesting in their regional centers since August 18th. “Samvida Matlab Shoshan (contract means exploitation), says a speaker in Raipur, an enthusiastic group of protesters,“ Mrs., Jeegen (we will win, we will win) ”. They show their pain, refuse to drink water, acting like songs and a blinds. In some regions, they are protesting outside the office of the Bharatia Janata Party, the ruling party in the center and in the state.

Demands and supply

“NHM (formerly national rural health task) started a task mode for reproduction and child health with 2,000 employees in 2005. The scope gradually expanded to health services and roles and individual responsibilities only increased. We are looking for parity with other health workers who do the same work with us, Hem Hemant Sinha says.

Since then, in 100 categories, it has been part of the groups demanding permanent employment for contracted employees containing both medical and non -medical support personnel. Recruitment takes place at state and regional levels.

Read also: NHM improved labor force, a few public health concerns: the center’s cabinet report

Currently, most regional program managers (coordinator) have 16,000 NHM workers with some new Joins and birth or other long -term leave. According to a senior government official, 60% of NHM funds come from the center, while the state raises the remaining 40%. The authority says that administrative control remains in the state.

Sinha said that the urge came from a political commitment immediately for the protest. B GJP in the manifesto promised to establish a committee for all the contract employees. We protested with similar demands during the term of office of the previous congress government, and then the BJP leaders, including today’s cabin ministers, supported the case. ” BJP founded the state government in 2023. He added that the association sent 160 memorandum to the government before starting the strike.

The spread effect of the protest may also be seen. Blocking Officer of the employee Chbhara CHC. Tirtan Sahu says that the non -infectious disease program has a serious stroke, because the block protested by 36 community medical officials. At the Raipur Regional Hospital in the Pandri region, a staff nurse says they have loaded and they usually have to make more night shifts than they do.

NHM Workers’ Association Gariyband Regional President Amrit Bhonsle, a security officer who injections to a patient in the Regional Hospital, states that the state’s Supreme Court is a serious violation of “medical ethical and professional standards”.

Leaders like Sinha say that other states such as Manipur regularly absorb NHM workers. Madhya Pradesh are not permanent employees, but they still receive class payment, gratitude, compassionate reasons and have occupational safety up to 62 years of age. However, a government official pointed out that the policy is made for all contract workers in the deputy’s case.

People are suffering

Against Raipur, the capital of Gariand and Chhattisgarh, many Arogya mode of mode is locked. Some health centers in Raipur carry a sign that regrets discomfort, referring to the strike of the contract workers. Others, as in the Mana region on Raipur’s skirts, barely a few kilometers away from Nava Raipur’s protest area in Tuta, neither patients nor NHM staff.

Some of these areas do not have a private health system. The Indian auditor and General Auditor (CAG) report in the state council last year said that there was a shortage of general human resources (74.797) against sanction power (74.797). He also said that the Chhattisgarh Government (GOCG) did not create any human resources policy for the health sector to ensure the availability of doctors, nurses and health officials in health institutions according to the norms of Indian Public Health Standards.

Devshree Dhruv, a physiotherapist broadcasted at the Unit of the Unit just above Rasla PHC, is on the strike. The child regretted that he did not join a three -year -old girl who suffered from the cerebral palsy because he provided good progress with regular visits and appropriate maintenance ”.

Anju Sahu, who has recently undergone knee surgery and reached the CHC to find out that he will not only give CC to physiotherapy because of a strike from DHRUV. For a previous session, the old woman went to Raipur about 100 km away.

Essays and troubles

Even in centers away from PHCs, all the population in small villages depends on the health services that reach them. Sangeeta Bramhnotiya, a regional program manager working on the contract in the Narayanpur region of the rebel stroked Bastar region, says that there is an additional financial burden on the latest mileage health workers like him.

Pregnant women and families living in remote villages are among the most affected by the strike. | Photo loan: shubhmoy fuck

“We must go to schools and Anganwadi centers in the distant regions and stay there along the forests, rivers and mountains.

The tools are mostly personal two -wheeled in which they carry basic elements such as drugs, records and health cards. “Children suffering from serious diseases should be brought to larger hospitals such as Raipur (250 km away) or Jagdalpur (120 km away) for better medical treatment by our staff, with our staff.

“I am a doctor and still 25,000 monthly income, not enough to ensure the meeting of the objectives. I am in health installation and not to provide health services for myself. I am delayed for a surgery that will cost La 7 Lakh, and this is the only way to sell my Chhhura health center in Garianbanbanbanban.

Still going

In the first week of September, 25 protest leaders, including Sinha, were dismissed. This was met with mass resignation, almost all protesters symbolically said that they all resigned.

Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal claimed that five of 10 demands have been accepted so far and objected to NHM workers to return to work.

Sinha says that other contract workers in the state have not received any salary increase between 2018-2022, and that NHM workers have received 5% annually based on performance investigations. One of the demands is to make the evaluation process transparent.

Workers demand a written order for the government’s announcements and plan to continue the protest until 10 requests are fulfilled. “We have come a long way and we will not give up as this important point, Sin says Sinha.