RMOS on Covid duty, pharmacy officers’ strike hits healthcare in rural Punjab
Pharmacy officers are getting Rs 10,000 and Class-4 employees just Rs 4500 per month. We cannot survive on this salary. BRAJESH KUMAR, Barnala district chief of Rural Pharmacy Officer Association, Punjab
BARNALA/SANGRUR:WITH 750 Rural Medical Officers (RMOS) deployed on covid-19 duty and 1,100 pharmacy officers and Class-4 employees on strike, 1,186 rural dispensaries are lying non-functional in rural Punjab.
The department of rural development and panchayats runs these dispensaries. The strike, seeking regularisation, has been on since June 19, with the doctors working with isolation wards, covid-testing, flu corners and district covid control rooms (etc) since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“There are no doctors and pharmacy officers in our dispenThe poor cannot afford to go to a private doctors. We are harassed and helpless at the lack of services at these dispensaries,” said Daljit Singh, sarpanch of Lasoi village of Sangrur. Lasoi has a population of 6,500.
Similarly, Shabir, husband of
Rubina sarpanch Sherwani Kot village near Malerkotla, said, “Women are more the worst-affected. Even medicines are not available in local dispensaries. We have taken up the matter with senior officers, but to no avail.”
Pharmacy officers and Class-4 employees allege they have been seeking regularisation for 14 years. “Pharmacy officers are getting Rs 10,000 and Class-4 employees, just Rs 4500 per month. We cannot survive on this salary. Despite our covid-19 duties, the government is not ready to listen to us,” said Brajesh Kumar, Barnala district chief of Rural Pharmacy Officer Association, Punjab.
Dr Ashwani Singh, vice-presisary. dent Rural Medical Officers Association, said, “There are 33 dispensaries in Barnala district and all 17 doctors have been deployed on covid-19 duties for the past four months. The government should send us to dispensaries.”
Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bhadaur Pirmal Singh Dhaula said he would raise the issue in the state assembly. Punjab panchayats and rural development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said the matter of regularisation was in his knowledge and efforts were on to resolve the issue.“we are willing to appoint them on regular basis, but there are some technical aspects. The issue will be addressed soon,” the minister added.