ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Aug 17: The United Contractual Doctors under the National Health Mission of Arunachal Pradesh (UCDNHM) has appealed to the government to regularise all NHM contractual workers, who have completed three years of service and to pay salaries to them at par with regular health workers of the same rank.
In a press conference held on Monday, Dr. Ponung Pertin said that NHM workers have been serving across the state since the mission's inception in 2005 despite having no job security and with meager salary.
“ Despite all the hardships, the NHM employees are not only helping in COVID-19 sample collection in quarantine centers, screening points but also in managing emergency duties such as regular OPDs, implementation of national programs, conducting  health camps and taking care of CHC, PHC, etc,” Pertin added.
According to Pertin, there are about 132 contractual NHM doctors of which 5 are Allopathy Doctors, 43 Dental Surgeons, 11 Ayurveda, and 78 Homeopathy Doctors, who are working tirelessly to improve the health sector in the state.
“ From looking after  the QFs or standing day and night at the check gates upto managing the OPD duties and emergency wards for doctors engaged in COVID-19 duties, the NHM employees are bravely working together with regular employees equally on the frontline,” Dr.Atom Tajo emphasized. “Moreover it is sad to tell you that despite rendering tireless service the NHM contractual doctors are paid a meager salary starting at Rs 23,000 per month. Even we get only 12 days of casual leave annually and for us, there are no provisions like HRA, TA / DA or EL, etc availed by regular doctors,” he lamented.

Tajo also underlined that many employees would exceed their age limit to appear in any competitive exam if the situation remained the same and appealed concerned authorities to regularize them keeping in mind the selfless service provided by NHM health workers.
Dr. Chow Milinda Engling pointed out that the state government has not recognized the tireless contribution of NHM employees to the health care sector in the past and even during this COVID-19 pandemic. The experience we have gathered over all these years makes us no less than other qualified/regular health care workers, he explained.
He claimed that NHM employees are trained in various health programs including COVID-19 management and duties, receive RT-CPR training, and are performing health care duties in line with regular staffers which makes them qualified enough to be regularized.
"We have for many years, endured this disparity in treatment without any complaint in hope for a better future based on years of practical experience within the system and proven ourselves with our sincerity, skill, and dedication on the field. We hope that  concerned authority will recognize our contribution and regularize those who have completed more than 3 years of service,"  the organization appealed.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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