Naga People‘s Front Legislature Party (NPFLP) has called upon the state government and National Health Mission Employees Association (NEAN) to come to the negotiating table and hammer out a solution without further delay, saying common men would ultimately suffer the most if the deadlock continued.
NPFLP through its information and publicity wing said that NEAN’s grievances were “genuine”, which deserved all out support. However, the party asserted that call for ‘cease work’ and the subsequent absence of medical personnel from duties would have adverse effect on the general public.
Pointing out that COVID-19 pandemic was not going away anytime soon, the NPFLP said that with shortage of medical professionals working on the ground, the day-to-day functioning of hospitals and health centres including quarantine centres would be immensely affected. As such, NPFLP said it was essential for NEAN to weigh the pros and cons thoroughly as the welfare and wellbeing of the mass was most important.
Meanwhile, the party termed as “haphazard and unsystematic” the state cabinet decision to regularise the post of 27 GDMOs appointed on contractual basis on May 27, 2020 for a period of 12 months on the excuse that there was shortage of manpower to contain COVID-19 pandemic.
NPFLP said the state government failing to address the grievances of NEAN, but deciding on regularisation of contract appointees has given birth to the present crisis. NPFLP has, therefore, asserted that the state government must own complete responsibility.
Opposition NPF has urged the state government to address the grievances of NHM employees and break the deadlock so various health centres across the state start functioning normally again. NPF through its press bureau said that lives of people must not be imperilled because of ‘blatant and atrocious nepotism’ of the government. NPF has, therefore, demanded that the state government immediately break the deadlock and work out the modalities.
Expressing deep concern over the imbroglio in the state health and family welfare (H&FW) department, the NPF said that the decision of commissioning public servants without following the laid down procedures was “a blatant and atrocious disregard for the law governing the land and can only be termed as an act of Nepotism.”
NPF acknowledged that present COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state demanded for an urgent need for trained medical personnel, and therefore, the need for contractual and contingency doctors. NPF said it should been the extension of contracts till such time the government needed their services.
The opposition party said that another “unpleasant” fall-out of cabinet “arbitrary” decision would be the burden on the state exchequer. It said that salary/emoluments of those contractual workers recruited due to COVID-19 pandemic could have been borne out of COVID-19 fund. However, NPF said their regularisation would place an additional burden over a few crore rupees every year on the state budget, which the government was “struggling” even to meet the salaries of the existing state government employees.
The opposition party demanded that the cabinet decision be put on hold regarding regularisation of the contractual and contingency medical staff. It alleged that the “authoritarian attitude” of the PDA government would set a very dangerous precedent for the post-pandemic governments and the future Naga generations.
NMDA appeals NHM employees to call off stir
Nagaland Medical Dealers’ Association (NMDA) has appealed to National Health Mission (NHM) employees to call off their cease work.
Appreciating the wok and sacrifices done by the NHM employees during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NMDA president A Ato Yepthomi urged them to resume work in the interest of public welfare in view of the current crisis.
Stating that NHM employees were among the frontline workers combating the COVID-19 pandemic, NMDA requested the state government to resolve the issue at the earliest. It further called upon the medical fraternity and public to come forward and join hands with the government medical personnel and help them in fight the deadly virus.