Protesting NHM workers face water cannons in Valley
SRINAGAR: The police resorted to water cannon and tear smoke shells to disperse the employees of National Health Mission (NHM), who have been protesting for past one week demanding regularisation of their contractual services, in Kashmir on Tuesday.
Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association spokesperson Abdul Rouf said that National Health Mission employees – including doctors, paramedics and managers – working in the state health department across the state are protesting to demand regularisation of their jobs.
The employees have been protesting in Srinagar’s Press Enclave and have even erected a tent to hold their sit-in.
Dozens were injured when the police opened lathicharge on the protesters who were planning to march towards the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Srinagar residence on Monday.
Nearly two dozen contractual employees were taken into preventive custody as well.
Meanwhile, news agency Kashmir News Service reported on Monday that minister of state for health, Asiya Naqash, has said that the demands of protesting employees were ‘genuine’ and will be comprehensively discussed.
Naqash was quoted as saying, “The protest of the NHM employees has been registered and I think they should join their duties again now as their absence from the hospitals has resulted in the hardships to patients.” HTC