VELLORE: The employment contract of a total of 60 contract employees attached with the National Health Mission (NHM), Tamil Nadu, have been terminated, allegedly without prior notification.
In 2020, National Health Mission Tamil Nadu launched a special programme to strengthen the specialised alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres functioning in seven government medical college hospitals in the districts of Madurai, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Salem, Tirunelveli, Vellore, and Coimbatore.
The special programme, launched with the intention of providing top-notch facilities and care for individuals grappling with alcohol addiction, was to be funded by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (Tasmac). Over 100 employees were hired on a contractual basis as part of the programme, with at least 10 workers to each of the de-addiction centres, said sources.
However, Tasmac failed to allocate the funds required to support the special programme, said official sources, resulting in the termination of employment of a total of 60 contractual staff.
“The contract agreement we signed specifically mentioned that the employees would be notified beforehand in the case of termination of employment. However, none of us received any prior notification. Our employment contract was terminated via an e-mail on September 19. They could have at least informed us a month beforehand,” a laid-off employee rued. An employee from Salem, faced with similar fate, echoed the views.
“Each of the de-addiction centres will now have to function with just a single doctor, which would result in several issues. Earlier, the contract employees used to provide counselling to the families of the patients as well,” another employee said.
Since its launch in the Vellore district, over 7,000 individuals addicted to drug consumption benefited out of the special programme.
“The responsibilities bestowed on us extended beyond individual wards,” an employee said. A contract staff from Tiruchy, who, too, was laid off, expressed worry over making ends meet. “They did not mention anything about immediate contract termination during the recruitment process,” the employee said.
When contacted, Shilpa Prabakar Satheesh, mission director of the National Health Mission, TN, told TNIE, “The previous working model of the de-addiction centre did not yield satisfactory results. Therefore, we were in the process of inculcating significant changes to revamp the model. Unfortunately, Tasmac suspended the funding initiated towards the special programme. We have apprised the employees hired on contractual basis. It is essential to note that de-addiction centres are a fundamental component of government hospitals. Their functioning will not cease.”
Meanwhile, sources said that not all of the laid-off employees were even informed about the termination of contract employment. S Visagan, managing director of Tasmac, was not available for comments.
Spl programme by NHM discontinued
The Tasmac failed to allocate the funds required to support the special programme initiated by the NHM (TN), in 2020, to strengthen de-addiction centres, resulting in the termination of employment of a total of 60 contractual staff since 2020.