Termination of NHM staff’s job contract likely to affect services in govt. hospitals in Keralam

According to the employees’ federation, the highest numbers of affected staff are in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, at 183 and 180, respectively.

Delivery of various services in government hospitals and health centres across Keralam are likely to get affected in the coming days as the job contracts of 1,495 temporary staff working under the National Health Mission (NHM) have been terminated from October 31.

According to sources, those who lost their jobs include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, accountants, physiotherapists, lab technicians, and the staff who coordinate the activities of Accredited Social Health Activists. The services of special newborn units in district hospitals and activities of ‘Ashadhara’ project, the digital and decentralised healthcare initiative launched by the government through the NHM to manage haemophilia and other rare genetic bleeding and coagulation disorders, may be hit. Functioning of urban health centres and labs and pharmacies in many hospitals and other healthcare institutions too may get affected.

Leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions-affiliated NHM Employees Federation say that the highest number of the affected staff are in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, 183 and 180, respectively. Ninety-nine people have lost their jobs in Kozhikode district alone.

Meera Nimeesh, State general secretary of the federation, says that the contract staff are appointed for a one-year period from April to March. However, this year, the contract was extended till May, because of the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections. After the new government assumed office, their tenure was extended twice, till October 31. Ms. Nimeesh adds that though the staff had earlier undergone one round of performance appraisal in May, they were asked to do it again in October. Following this, their services were terminated.

Ms. Nimeesh claims that even those with close to 20 years of experience, who have consistently recorded good performance, found themselves jobless one fine morning. She alleges that the government’s action is politically motivated as those who don’t align themselves with the United Democratic Front government have been singled out and terminated.

In a statement, the federation says that the services provided by NHM staff—spanning areas such as immunisation, maternal and child care, communicable disease control, management of lifestyle diseases, palliative care, laboratory services, day-to-day operations of hospitals, and field-level health activities—constitute an integral part of the healthcare system. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Health department has issued a notification for the appointment of new staff.