Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 28: Employees working under National Health Mission today urged the administration to desist from arbitrary action against healthcare staff without giving heed to their problems.
A statement issued here said that the whole world is grappling with a huge challenge posed by COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare staff is directly dealing with the threat due to which they are stressed to the hilt.
“The need of the hour is to facilitate the employees so that they can do their duties diligently with peace of mind, said” NHM Employees Association President Muneer Andrabi.
While reacting to the reports of suspension and termination of services of doctors and other healthcare employees in past few days, the Association said: “There is complete lockdown and due to non-availability of transport facilities many healthcare staff finds it hard to reach their duties. Instead of providing pick and drop or boarding/lodging facilities to hospital staff the administration is acting in an arbitrary manner”.
It said that rather than resorting to dictatorial approach, authorities should try to understand the concerns of employees and address them.
“Shortage of proper PPE and lack of social security to contractual employees is adding to their anxiety. We also have to look after our families. Despite all these problems we are giving our 100% in this hour of crisis but the higher authorities issue termination and suspension orders without affording a hearing to the employees which amounts to insult of the staff”, the statement said.
“Arbitrary action and authoritarian approach will discourage the employees whose lives are facing the greatest threat. All these orders should be revoked and all necessary facilities provided to employees”, it said.
“You cannot play with the dignity and wellbeing of employees and then expect them to perform. Since Aug 5 it is us who served people day and night and again we have to fight by putting the lives of our families at risk in spite of meager wages. These things should be kept in mind before issuing dictatorial orders which will only weaken the fight,” the statement said.
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