Our Reporter
Dimapur, June 14 (EMN): Withthe National Health Mission (NHM) employees ceasing their work indefinitely starting from June 14, office of the chief medical officer, Zunheboto on Sunday said that it has created acute unprecedented crisis in addition to the already existing shortage of manpower.
Stating that the NHM employees being the backbone in facilitating quarantine centres, surveillance activities as well as reporting and documentation on Covid-19 related activities, the CMO said, "This has placed the overall district health management system on the verge of collapse unless the issues are addressed promptly.''
The NHM employees in Nagaland, including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, technicians and others, had decided to cease all work indefinitely starting June 14 across the state after the Cabinet’s decision to regularise the newly inducted 27 medical officers after just two weeks of appointment.
CMO Zunheboto had written to the principal director of Health and Family Welfare stating that the district NHM employees have decided to join the NHM Employees' Association of Nagaland (Nean) to cease their work from June 14 till their charter of demands are addressed.
It also mentioned that the office is not in a position to pool human resource from the blocks as most of the regular technical staffs are aged with comorbidities and not well versed with the programme management particularly on Covid-19 and regular technical staffs too are fully engaged in their respective health centres and blocks.
The office further appealed the department to address the crisis on urgent basis and to issue valuable directions to the district health authority to tide over the situation.
In response to NHM Nean's call, the Nean Tuensang unit ceased their work on Sunday and termed it as “very successful.''
In a press release, the unit stated that there are more than 200 NHM employees working under various NHM programmes including technical and non-technical employees in DPMU and BPMU, IDSP, MMU, RBSK/RKSK, NUHM, NVBDCP, RNTCP, UIP, NCD, and NTCP.
Stating that all of the NHM employees are actively involved in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by carrying out screening at the quarantine centres, sanitation and disinfection, sample collection and testing, data management and reporting, contact tracing, paper works, and handling 24x7 duty, it said they are overburdened with hospital duty besides their routine jobs.
The unit said it will continue to stand in solidarity with Nean till their demands are fulfilled.
In a separate press release, NHM Kiphire informed that the unit in its emergency meeting on Sunday, unanimously resolved that all the NHM employees under the district will go for an indefinite cease of work with immediate effect.
Also, the Kohima unit reiterated and reaffirmed its full support to the decision of Nean.
All NHM employees under the district have ceased work and will continue to till the demands of the association are met, it stated.
The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has demanded the state government to immediately review the Cabinet's decision to regularise the recently appointed 27 contingency medical officer posts.
It also appealed to the aggrieved doctors, nurses and others to resume their duty as the public need their service in saving lives during this pandemic.
The NVCO in a press statement, stated that the cabinet decision has demoralised the National Health Mission Employees' Association(Nean), Nagaland Junior Doctors’ Association (NJDA) and contract doctors of Naga Hospital Authority Kohima in the midst of rendering their best effort as frontline workers in combating the Covid-19 pandemic. It asserted that the decision has amounted to 'discrimination, injustice, nepotism, illegal, backdoor appointment, unconstitutional and against the government standing order, and service rules and guidelines.'
Stating that the organisation understands the shortage of doctors and nurses in the state which has been adversely affecting the delivery of healthcare services during this crisis and the government's decision in appointing the 27 medical officers considering the dire need and urgency, NVCO stated that it cannot compromise with the Cabinet's decision to regularise them.
NVCO stated: "What was so special with the 27 contingency MO posts? Are they specialist and more experience than aggrieved doctors in handling with Covid-19 +ve cases? Are they not willing to work unless they pay higher salary? Is that so requires to appoint and regularise two doctors in a family amongst the 27contingency MO post?"
It further reminded the state government not to neglect the more than thousands of employees including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, technicians, and others who have been deeply hurt and remain demoralised for the act of nepotism and discrimination.
HPC's justification a blatant nepotism — Acaut
The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (Acaut) said the 'flimsy justification' of "one time relaxation of laid down rules and procedures" for recruitment and regularisation as stated by the High Powered Committee (HPC) is 'blatant nepotism' which was pre-meditated to take undue advantage of the pandemic situation.
On June 11, the state Cabinet had decided to regularise 19 serving contract medical officers under Health and Family Welfare department and another 27 medical officers who were appointed purely on contingency basis just in fortnight i.e. May 27 have been regularised, it stated.
Terming the Cabinet's decision as 'smirked with dictatorial diktat that infringe into the fundamental right, of equality before law for deserving and qualified citizens,' the Acaut extended its support to the demand of Nean and Nagaland Junior Doctors' Association's (NJDA).
It stated that the Acaut had filed WP (C) No.(K)/2017 challenging backdoor appointments and regularisations as per OM dated August 4, 2008 and by judgement and order dated August 3, 2018, the judge directed the state government not to appoint and regularise the service of employees who have completed three years of continuous service on contract/ad-hoc basis in terms of OM August 11, 2016 and August 4, 2008. Against this judgement and order, it added that the state government filed WA No.16(K)2018, but the court appeal was rejected and the judgement and order of the judge was upheld. Therefore, Acaut stated that the recent Cabinet's decision amounts to contempt of court.
Acaut further appealed to all the right thinking citizens to be on vigil and be ready to support the frontline workers till the order is revoked.