Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 7: Over two years have passed when the Jammu and Kashmir Government had approved special financial incentives in favour of the front line healthcare workers and other staff who were directly dealing with Covid patients in various health institutions of the Union Territory but Non-Gazetted (N-G) Covid warriors of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu are still waiting to get these incentives.
Official sources told Excelsior that the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department vide its Order Number 360-JK (HME) of 2021 dated 04-05-2021 had accorded sanction to the grant of financial incentives for those frontline healthcare workers who directly dealt with the COVID-19 patients, for rewarding their services during the difficult times.
“Rupees 10,000 per month was fixed as financial incentive for Resident Doctors/PGs as well as Medical Officers, Rs 7000 for Paramedical staff/Nursing staff and Rs 5000 for Drivers as well as Class IV workers (Nursing Orderlies/Sweepers) and a total of 686 employees of GMC Jammu including Resident Doctors, MOs, Nursing/Paramedical staff, Class IV employees and Drivers were recommended for these financial incentives,” they said.
Sources stated that like GMC Jammu, 784 employees of GMC Srinagar, 12 of GMC Doda, 30 of GMC Rajouri, 50 of GMC Kathua, 79 of GMC Anantnag, 80 of GMC Baramulla and 200 of SKIMS Soura were also recommended for these Covid special incentives.
These incentives, as per sources, were to be given for peak pandemic period (for 3 months), starting from the month of May 2021 but even after more than 2 years of approval, these incentives had not been released in favour of the Non-Gazetted frontline healthcare workers of GMC Jammu.
They said even Gazetted frontline healthcare workers of GMC Jammu received these incentives recently while the same was released in respect of frontline workers of other health institutions long ago.
Speaking to Excelsior, a paramedic of GMC Jammu said that they took up the issue several times with the Hospital administration but never received a satisfactory response. “It has been more than 2 years now when we were promised incentives but we are yet to get the same,” he added.
Similar claims were made by a nurse of GMC Jammu. “During peak of Covid-19, we as frontline workers did not care for our lives and saved many precious lives, and in COVID-19 battle, some of the frontline health workers sacrificed their lives but Government seems to have forgotten the services rendered by us during crucial times,” she added.
When contacted, Principal GMC Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta said they are scrutinizing the names of healthcare workers recommended for the incentives as it has come to our notice that many non-deserving N-G healthcare workers have managed to include their names in the list of workers recommended for these special incentives.
“It is just a matter of few days. As soon as the process of scrutiny is completed, incentives will be released to all deserving N-Z Healthcare workers,” Dr Gupta added.
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