Assures weightage in recruitment process
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 3: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today paid a surprise visit to agitating terminated contractual National Health Mission (NHM) employees outside Government Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Jammu and announced extension of their services by three months besides giving them preference in recruitment process, following which the agitating employees ended their strike.
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The LG reached the protesting site at about 11 am, interacted with the agitating NHM employees and heard their grievances patiently. The protesting employees urged the LG to extend their services as they have worked hard during peak of COVID-19 and served the public with full dedication when no one was ready to risk his/her life.
Sinha announced on the spot that the contracts of all the terminated NHM employees will be extended by three months and they will be given priority in recruitment on various posts of Health and Medical Education Department as the Department is in the process of identifying new positions of paramedical staff and the same will be advertized soon.
In a gesture, the LG made an NHM employee to break his hunger strike by offering him juice. Sinha told the protesting employees to end their strike and get back to work and serve the public with full dedication. Sinha said, “We are indebted to health workers who have been on the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic. They always go much beyond their call of duty to save precious human lives. I salute their courage and selfless service,” he added.
Speaking to reporters, the LG said, as soon as he reached Jammu on Saturday, he took two important decisions with regard to NHM contractual employees who have served the humanity during peak of the pandemic. “All these contractual NHM employees will be given three months extension and they will also be given weightage in the recruitment process for various posts in the Health Department,” Sinha said.
He announced that posts will be advertised soon to fill up different vacancies in the Health Department and these Corona Warriors will be given preference in recruitment process. Our health workers worked tirelessly and they deserve high praise, the LG added. Principal, GMC Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma and Medical Superintendent Dr A D S Manhas were also present on the occasion.
The protesting NHM employees said that as the LG himself has visited them and gave assurances, they are ending their strike. “We are hopeful that Government will soon advertize new nursing posts and as assured by the LG, we will be given weightage in the recruitment process,” they added.
Earlier, in Srinagar the LG met health workers at Raj Bhawan and after listening to their grievances told the senior officials of Health and Medical Education Department to identify the vacant nursing staff positions in the UT as soon as possible and initiate the recruitment process to benefit the health workers.
Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, Director Health Services Kashmir and Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, Mission Director NHM, were present in the meeting at Srinagar.
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