Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 13: The J&K National Health Mission Employees Association today said thousands of NHM employees across the Union Territory have entered the third consecutive month without salaries, warning of protests if the issue is not resolved immediately.
The Association termed the repeated delay in salary disbursement a “painful routine” over the past two years, saying the situation has pushed employees and their families into financial distress and mental stress.
NHM employees, who are engaged in hospitals, health centres, emergency services and public health programmes across J&K, have continued to perform duties despite uncertainty over their wages, the association said.
Association representative Abdul Rauoof accused the Government of ignoring the struggles of healthcare workers and said delayed salaries had become a recurring problem for NHM staff in the Union Territory.
“It is deeply unfortunate that those who dedicate their lives for the health and welfare of society are themselves being forced to suffer in silence,” he said, adding that employees were finding it increasingly difficult to manage household expenses, children’s education and loan repayments,” he said.
The Association appealed to the Government and concerned authorities to immediately release all pending salaries and establish a permanent mechanism to ensure timely disbursement of wages in future.
Warning of agitation, the Association said employees may be compelled to adopt “democratic and lawful measures” if their demands continue to be ignored.
“A healthcare system cannot remain strong when its own frontline workers are left financially broken,” the association said.
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