To
The Principal Director
DoHFW
Nagaland|Kohima                                                                                                                                              Date: 8 June

Subject: Salary parity for the department’s contractual nurses with their regularized counterparts as per the SC order and the MoHFW directive

Sir,

According to the cabinet decision of 4th June, the government is all set to recruit more doctors and nurses to battle the coronavirus pandemic in the state, and yet the pending grievance of the nursing community is yet to be resolved – which is most likely to lead to a spat of resignations.

We have a situation where the frontline workers are at the receiving end of the state government’s insensitivity while on the other hand it is desperately looking to recruit more nurses and doctors.

It is imperative that the grievances of the contractual nurses – stemming from the fact that their workload is no less than the other regular nurses, and yet highly underpaid – as low as 1/5th of the salary of their regular counterparts – be resolved as soon as possible. It is learnt that ANM and GNM nurses on contract get as low as Rs. 10,000-Rs. 12,000 which is even less than what the daily wage labourers earn.

This disparity is being felt most acute during the pandemic period where the majority of the aggrieved nurses despite the protestations of their family members have risked their lives and bravely shouldered on their responsibility.

Insensitivity to their plight being the case, some of the nurses have reportedly sought to resign if their demand for relief in terms of pay enhancement is not met.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) seems to have been officially apprised of the matter several times, but as per the 4th June 2020 notification, issued by the Mission Director, National Health Mission, DoHFW, it seems the government is treating its health workers as mere employees. The pleas made by these nurses have been met with intimidation and threat to blacklist from any further employments in future if the employees (read nurses) fail to return to work within 7 days.

So we have a most insensitive and a possible contempt of court case where instead of implementing the Hon’ble SC order of 2011 and the subsequent recommendations of the MoHFW, India, that even nurses serving in private hospitals cannot be paid less than Rs. 20,000 per month, the Mission Director has chosen to intimidate the health workers.

The Naga Rising would like to request your good office to intervene and take urgent necessary steps to boost the morale of the frontline workers.

First, the insensitive and discriminatory notification must be withdrawn immediately.

Secondly, the salaries of the present contractual nurses need to be enhanced on par with their regular counterparts.

Thirdly, while it is imperative to recruit new health workers, the new nursing recruits should not be paid less than Rs. 20,000/- per month, as per the Hon’ble SC direction.

The government should use COVID cess fund to cover the increase in the salary of the nurses during the pandemic period.

Unless such confidence building measures are implemented urgently, the government’s further recruitment plans will have no takers.

Thanking You, 

 

(ALONG LONGKUMER)                                                                                    (JOEL NAGA)

The Naga Rising                                                                                       The Naga Rising

Copy to:

  1. The Hon’ble CM
  1. The Chief Secretary
  1. The Finance Commissioner
  1. The Secretary, DoHWF