Outsourced healthcare employees from across state demand equality

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Statewide contractual healthcare workers staged a protest under Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department Contractual and Outsource Employees Association (KSHCOEA) along with Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Monday. Tuesday onwards, the KSHCOEA is on an indefinite protest.

The Health minister, they said, had promised them that an order would be issued in accordance with their demands. Vishwaradhya HY, the Association President said, “They said an order will be issued in three days, it is now six months and nothing has happened. This time we are protesting indefinitely, till our demands are met.”

Healthcare workers from all districts in Karnataka are participating in the protest. Manjula, who works as a Group D employee in Tumakuru, asked why they were not being given allowances and relaxations that the permanent staff is given. Community health officers are responsible to make quality healthcare accessible to rural parts of the country.

Mahesh Hebbali, a CHO from Koppal said, “Other state government employees are given Rs 15,000 as incentive but we are given only Rs 8,000 in Karnataka. In UP, they provide inter-district transfers for employees and we want the same.”

Lakshmi, who works in a nursing unit, came all the way from Koppal with her 11-month-old baby to join the protest. “We should get a permanent job or equal pay (like the permanent employees). Although the nature and hours of work are the same, those who are permanently employed receive higher remuneration and job security and not those hired on a contract basis,” she rued.

Dr Veena V, deputy director in the Health and Family Welfare Services Arogya Soudha said, “We are going to intensify our protest. Tomorrow, we will go on a hunger strike. We are not leaving till we get the government order.” Two protesters were taken to a hospital in an ambulance after a suspected hypoglycaemia as they had not eaten for a long time.