Health workers to stage protest, want jobs to be regularised

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru:

Contract health workers in the city are organising a march on July 7 to put forward several demands, including regularisation. The State Health Department's contractual staff have expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister of Medical Education and Health of Karnataka Dr K Sudhakar and the top officials in the department, who have been neglecting their concerns.

The representatives of contractual and outsourced employees of the department say that though several meetings have been convened, nothing has been implemented after the meeting. Ayanur Manjunath, a BJP MLC, has written a letter demanding wage hikes, health insurance, and a transfer policy to the government.

It also mentioned that states like Haryana and Kerala have already implemented similar measures for the welfare of their contractual health workers. Vishawaradhya H Y, the President of Karnataka State Health Contractual and Outsourced Employees' Association (KSHCOEA), said that the association demands to implement what was negotiated in a meeting with the minister in February.

"We have had several meetings to discuss our issues, yet nothing has been implemented as of now," he said. The KSHCOEA President also said that the Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), in the past, had issued orders but levied several conditions. "This is not useful for us", he quipped.

The health workers have been putting forth several demands, including regularisation, for the past three to four years. Previously, a committee was formed by then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Health Minister B Sriramulu to prepare a report on the concerns of contractual staff. Retired IAS Officer P N Srinivasachari led the committee. Representing the workers in the committee was MLC Ayanur Manjunath, who is also the President of KSHCOEA.