Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Mar 6: After no headway was made in the talks with Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Ashiya Nakash and the representatives of the employees, the employees of Health and Medical Education working under National Health Mission extended the strike call by more 72 hours.
The talks with the Minister were facilitated by Mission Director NHM, Dr Mohan Singh who held the initial round of talks with the striking employees at Srinagar on Sunday.
Though the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere this evening at Srinagar and Minister appealed the employees to call off the strike saying that Government will consider their demands however the employees pressed for a written order from Government in this regard saying till that time they will not call off their strike, sources said.
The striking employees said that they were given such assurances at many times in past but to no avail.
However, the Minister assured the leaders of NHM employees that she will arrange their meeting with Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti saying their demand of regularization or equal work for equal pay were justified.
Meanwhile, the NHM employees and Medical Employees Confederation as well as Pensioners and Senior Citizens Forum criticized the police lathicharge on agitating employees at Srinagar today.
Medical Employees Confed-eration president Khursheed Ahmed while condemning the lathicharge said that by using the force Government can’t suppress the NHM employees and ignore their genuine demands. He assured full support of his organization to them.
Pensioners and senior Citizens Forum patron and veteran trade unionist, Mir Ghulam Rasool said that the demands of these employees are justified as they are backbone of Health and Medical Education Department in the State which is facing shortage of staff and doctors.
He asked the Government to frame a concrete policy on these hapless employees.
There are 13000 employees with a sizable number of doctors working under NHM scheme in the Sate since 2007, said Mohit Seth vice president NHM Jammu. He said for last nine years they have been denied justice as neither Government is regularizing their services nor it enhances their pay in accordance with equal pay for equal work.
Seth said that employees have decided to extend the strike call for 72 hours as they won’t tolerate more exploitation from the Government.
Meanwhile, people have expressed concern over the problems faced by patients in hospitals due to constant strike of NHM employees and some political and social leaders have demanded that the Government should hold meaningful dialogue with the striking employees.
Satish Poonchi chairman JK Peoples Front Ghulam Qadir Bhat senior Congress leader and Shamsher Singh Bhandari, former vice president State Youth Congress have expressed concern over lack of medicare facilities in hospitals and problems faced by patients due to strike of NHM employees.
They urged the Government to take immediate steps in resolving the deadlock by accepting the genuine demands f the employees.
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