Health Services across J&K badly hit.
For the second consecutive day, hundreds of employees of National Health Mission (NHM) continued their protest on Thursday ‘demanding regularization of jobs.
The NHM employees are on 72 hour long hunger strike in Pratap Park in Srinagar, from where they tried to march towards Lalchowk.
Police immediately swung to action, resorts to lathi charge to foil their attempt. Police also detained dozens of the protesters after they showed resistance to move towards Lal Chock from press enclave.
Amid sloganeering, the protesting employees were demanding a concrete policy for their job. Police also removed the makeshift tents which they have erected yesterday to begin their 72 hours long sit-in hunger strike.
From last two days the employees were on sit-in protest under the banner of All Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission to realize the state government to address their plights which they are going through since long.
The protesters also alleged use of brute force by police against them. The angry protesting employees told PTK, “We will not call off the strike until government reaches us to fulfill our genuine demand”.
They said that they have been working in the health department for last ten years on meager wages that too without any job security and other benefits like GP Fund, Leave benefits etc.
”We were promised to fulfill our demands by government but perhaps those promises were only to douse the protests ” said Abdul Rouf, Spokesperson All J&K NHM Employees Association.
WHAT NHM EMPLOYEES DO?
National Health Mission (NHM) Employees services are used in departments such as ambulance (both driver and emergency medical technician), maternal health, vaccinations, adolescent health, birth and death records, child immunizations, Asha, data entries and OPDs. (PTK)