NHM employees extend 72-hour strike

Srinagar, Sep 11: The agitation by National Health Mission (NHM) employees continued across Jammu and Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Friday, with the employees deciding to extend their ongoing 72-hour strike by another 72 hours from September 12, citing failure of the government to take concrete and time-bound action on their long-pending demands.

The decision was taken by the Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) UT-Level Coordination Committee, which said the extension was necessary as the issues raised by NHM employees had remained unresolved despite repeated representations, meetings and assurances from the authorities.

According to details, employees associated with different NHM programmes and health services continued their peaceful protest at district, block and field-level establishments across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions.

The protesting workforce includes employees working under various NHM programmes, including the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), who have been seeking a comprehensive policy addressing their remuneration, employment security and social-security concerns.

The Association said thousands of NHM employees have served the public healthcare system under contractual arrangements for nearly 18 years, often performing responsibilities comparable to those of regular employees, but without a clear and sustainable framework governing their long-term service conditions.

Among the major demands are revision and enhancement of salaries and remuneration, a comprehensive policy for job security, retirement benefits and social-security measures, besides resolution of other long-pending service-related issues through a transparent and time-bound mechanism.

The employees are also seeking a dignified and workable retirement benefit or “Golden Handshake” policy for those who complete their service, along with welfare measures that can provide financial protection after retirement.

A protesting employee said the prolonged contractual nature of their employment had created uncertainty among thousands of workers despite their years of service.

“We have served the health sector for years and have performed our duties in hospitals, health centres and at the field level. Our demand is not only about salary enhancement; we want a clear policy that gives us job security, social protection and dignity after years of service,” the employee said.

The employees have urged the government to convene a high-level meeting with their representatives and initiate a time-bound process for resolving their demands.