BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to allow the women health workers engaged in Covid Care Homes (CCHs) during the pandemic to continue in their service.
Drawing the Chief Minister’s attention to the plight of over 4,000 auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and multi-purpose health workers (female) disengaged from CCHs by the Health and Family Welfare department, Naik said they were thrown out of job even as the State is not free from coronavirus.
He said these female health workers were engaged for a period of three months with a remuneration of `850 per day. However, before completion of three months, they have been disengaged despite the fact that the State has not been Covid-free till date.
Claiming that over 15,000 ANM posts are lying vacant and the State is lagging behind in awareness of TB, malaria and polio which can be done by the ANM at the grassroots level, Naik said the government in November issued a notification for engagement of nursing staff instead of re-engaging the ANMs who worked hard during the pandemic as frontline workers.
“As recruitment for the post of ANM has not been done since last 10 years, age relaxation may be given to the candidates during the recruitment of ANM up to the age of 42 years and also preference may be given to those who worked during Covid-19,” he said in a letter.
Requesting the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision of disengagement ANMs and other health workers, Naik said these temporary workers should be re-engaged as per guidelines of National Health Mission-2013 and Indian Public Health Standard-2012.
He also requested the CM to fill up all vacancies for ANM in PHCs, CHCs, DHHs, tribal hostels and urban women hostels in the State.
Naik wrote the letter to the Chief Minister when the disengaged ANMs are agitating on the street demanding regularisation of their service.