After order to sack NHM workers, govt gives them time to join duty

GIVEN A WARNING TO JOIN DUTIES BY MONDAY, OUT OF 10, 700 EMPLOYEES, ONLY 8,600 CAME BACK TO WORK AND 2,100 DIDN’T, PROMPTING THE SACKING ORDER

MOGA: Threat of losing job looms over around 2,100 National Health Mission (NHM) employees as the Punjab government on Monday ordered to terminate services of all those who didn’t report to work on Monday. The health department has directed all civil surgeons to hire new staff on ad hoc basis to replace the sacked workforce.

The health department had given a warning to the employees to join work by Monday. However, out of 10, 700 employees, only 8,600 joined their duties on Monday and 2,100 didn’t. The order of termination of services was issued by NHM director Kumar Rahul.

“The Covid pandemic has been declared national disaster under The Disaster Management act 2005. The health services have been affected due to the strike of NHM employees, putting people’s lives in danger. Therefore you (civil surgeons) are directed to terminate protesting employees of NHM with immediate effect and new staff should be recruited to replace them,” reads the order.

Kumar Rahul said, “We tried to make them understand that this is not the time to show such a behaviour. Now, we have issued an order to terminate services of protesting employees.”

Amarjeet Singh, state president of NHM Employee Union, said, “There are 10,700 employees working under the NHM. Nearly 8,600 employees joined their duty on Monday, however, around 2,100 did not show up at work.”

“The government on late Monday evening again appealed to the protesting employees to return to work,” he added.