BENGALURU: In January last year the National Health Mission (NHM) wrote to all states to have a comprehensive Human Resource (HR) policy. Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi followed through, Karnataka did not, say NHM staff in the state. As a result, 22,000 NHM staff in the state do not get maternity or paternity leave, no government holidays and have only 15 days leave in a year, claim the staff who took a day-long protest at Maurya junction in Anand Rao Circle here on Thursday.
Around 300 employees of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) were also part of the protest on Thursday demanding equal pay for equal work. A staff nurse earns less than a sweeper and a dhobi, the staff said. Their salaries have remained unchanged for a decade while permanent employees enjoy annual increments.
The health directorate wore a deserted look with no contract employees working. The government health facilities worked with barely any staff members as most of them were on strike.Dr Rathan Kelkar, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Karnataka, said, “If the government decides to call for recruitment, they have to participate in the process. The government is looking into giving some gradation points for those who have already served the health department.”
A letter by Manoj Jhalani, Secretary, National Health Mission last year said, “It is observed that despite repeated advisories, HR policies have either not been adopted yet or are not being followed.”
“A fair HR policy was requested to be implemented by the states but till date it has not been done,” said Vasu HV, President, Karnataka, State Health Department Contract Employees Forum who met the Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey with a list of demands.Pandey told TNIE, “We have for a copy of the HR policy that Haryana has implemented. We will decide after reading it.”