Covid volunteers' union holdsprotest, seeks government jobs
The Covid Medical and Paramedical Volunteers' Union held a protest demanding government jobs here on Tuesday. The volunteers include doctors, nursing staff, pharmacist, lab technician and ward boys who were first roped in by the state government in 2020 to cater to the high load of Covid patients.
'During the first two Covid waves, the government turned some schools into level-1 Covid care centres. They hired us as there was a shortage of staff. We were aware of the dangers of working with Covid patients and still chipped in as we wanted jobs and we were promised on different levels that our jobs would continue even after the pandemic,' said union president Rajwinder Singh, who also worked as a ward boy during the pandemic in these centres.
The volunteers were called for duty on three occasions. First for up to eight months in 2020, then six months in 2021 and finally six months in 2022. They, Rajwinder said, were then laid off and were told that they will be called in when there is a need later.
'We had been hired after the government, under the National Health Mission, issued a notification asking for volunteers in March 2020. We went through the complete selection process and were told about the dangers of working with Covid patients. But the idea of working for the government promised regularisation later down the road, so we kept working in the tough Covid period,' he added.
'We met the chief minister in October 2023 and we were promised regular jobs, but to no avail. We were hailed as Covid warriors and worked in testing conditions. The government should think about us,' he added.
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