Morung Express News
Kohima | June 15
The National Health Mission Employees Association, Nagaland (NEAN) has decided to continue with the indefinite ‘cease work’ agitation following an ‘inconclusive’ meeting with the Principal Director of Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) and Mission Director of National Health Mission (NHM) in the directorate today. “They could not give us any assurance or proposal to settle the issue,” Dr Shasinlo Magh, President of NEAN told The Morung Express while making it clear that they are still on ‘cease work’ and so far, it has been successful.
“Since the meeting was not fruitful, and there was no outcome or solution to it, we will continue with the cease work till the government comes up a definite plan, a proposal or solution to settle the issue,” the President said. This decision was taken in a meeting with the NEAN executives and district representatives.
NEAN had called for an indefinite cease work starting from June 14 following the state cabinet’s decision to regularize the post of 27 contractual doctors who were recently appointed and had come up with a 3-point memorandum demanding regularization of NHM employees and parity of pay with State Health Employees of the same rank as well as employees’ benefit to NHM employees in line with the state H&FW employees.
During the meeting with the authority earlier, he said, NEAN had made their demands very clear but “they could not give us any concrete decision or assurance.” The stance of the department, he said was that, “NHM being a flagship program, they may take up the matter with the government, but it is not possible at the moment and requested us to call off the cease work.”
He regretted that their agitation is also hampering the state’s fight against COVID-19 while expressing, “we want to appeal to the general public that we really regret for the inconvenience that has being created or caused to them during this pandemic crisis. We really want to render our service, but with the condition that we are in, it is very difficult to risk our lives with no job security, no employees’ benefit and working on a meager salary.”
“It is very hard for us to risk our lives to COVID-19,” he added.
He however requested the general public to bear with them, “and if they can help us in any way, considering the service that is required, if they can help us…if the government can come forward with a solution, we will be very grateful to them so that we can join our duty again without any difficulty.”
The State Health authorities meanwhile issued a press release stating that both the Principal Director and Mission Director “appealed to the employees to call off the cease work and join their respective duties.”
“If they present their demands with proper justification, government will be sympathetic enough to examine and address the same to the extent possible,” the release stated.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio also addressed the issue during a press conference in Kohima today and expressed willingness to look into the grievances. “We will consider what is possible,” he said, while adding that the government has made an appeal for them to resume their duties.
On the demand for parity of pay and perks in line with state employees, Rio however stated that state service employees are different from the NHM, who are funded by the central government and have their own guidelines.
He said that post creation is open for any recruitment to come in including those who are serving under NHM while adding that “New recruiters are given privileges because unless we give incentives they may not like to take risk and we have very poor facilities and we have such a shortfall of doctors and nurses.”
“I am hopeful the issue will be resolved,” he said.
