Contractual health workers stage dharna outside MP Health Minister’s bungalow

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 27 (ANI): A group of contractual health workers sat on a dharna outside the bungalow of Madhya Pradesh health minister Prabhuram Choudhary in the state capital Bhopal on Monday.

They were demanding the adjustment of the contract employees who were already working, on the vacant posts. Also, they were demanding to change the rules in the new group 5 recruitment launched by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB, formerly known as Vyapam). Speaking to ANI, ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife), Akanksha Dubey said, “Our first demand is that adjustments should be made of our sisters who have been working for 10 to 15 years as the posts in the department are vacant. Besides, a Group 5 recruitment has been released through Vyapam (now MPPEB), in which such rules have been made that if those rules are implemented then even 100 ANMs in the state cannot fill the form. So, we request the health minister to immediately amend that recruitment rule, or cancel that recruitment.”

On the other hand, Contractual Employees Union State Executive President, Jitendra Singh Bhadauria said, “Whenever we have agitated, the minister has given assurance that he will solve the problem of contract workers and the ANM. It has been 15 to 20 years but no relief was given to the contractual employees and no adjustments were made. This Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had implemented a policy on June 5, 2018 but we did not receive the benefit of that too.”

“A regular recruitment process has been started through Vyapam (now MPPEB), in that also such conditions have been kept that our ANMs who have been working for years are not able to fill the form. According to the new conditions, 12th pass in Biology category has been asked to fill the form whereas earlier recruitment was done on the basis of 10th standard. Apart from this, training of ANMs have been sought from the government institute. That’s why we demand from the health minister that conditions should be kept as before and our adjustment should be done,” Badhauria said.

When asked about calling off the dharna, he said that they would sit there till the minister talks to them. Their women wing across the state reached there. If the minister did not consider their demands then they would step out on the streets of Bhopal.

Besides, Badhauria claimed, “This is the first such health department that made Ayushman cards for others but we ourselves are not eligible for Ayushman cards. We are not even eligible for BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards. If we get any disease then we are not eligible for insurance. So, we request the minister to accept our demand so that we can return to our workplace and serve the public.”