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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
CHOs express concern over delay in receiving salaries
Community Health Officers (CHOs), who were on a strike from April 17 to May 26, have expressed concern over the delay in receiving salaries and requested the State government to initiate the process at the earliest. There are around 10,000 Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs or Village Health Clinics in the State, which are manned by the CHOs. Each clinic, which caters to a rural population of 3,000 to 5,000, is staffed by a CHO, an ANM and two or three ASHAs. The CHOs are authorised to prescribe 105 types of drugs to people, conduct 14 types of tests and provide 12 types of services to the rural public. The CHOs had been on a strike for more than a month demanding payment of pending incentives, an increase in their pay of ₹25,000, regularisation of the services of those who completed six years and resumption of PF. They had withdrawn their strike on May 26, after they were promised that a meeting with the Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav would be scheduled soon to discuss their issues. While they continue to wait for the meet, they pointed out that the government is yet to release their salaries for the past two months. 'From the meagre salary of ₹25,000 that we receive, we run both our homes and the clinics. After spending from our pockets on the rents, electricity charges at the clinic, we are not left with much to spend on any other necessities at home. If the salaries are not credited on time, it becomes extremely difficult for us to run the clinic,' said Sandeep, president of the Andhra Pradesh Midlevel Health Provider/Community Health Officers' Association. More than 4,000 of the total 10,000 clinics are being run in rented buildings, Mr. Sandeep said, adding that the rents are usually between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000. He expressed disappointment at the government's perception that they do not do enough work. 'We took part in the NCD (non-communicable diseases) survey 3.0, screened people for not just oral and breast cancers, but also cervical. This is in addition to the administrative role we play at the clinics. Despite bearing many responsibilities, the government thinks we do not do enough,' Mr. Sandeep said. He requested the government to release their salaries immediately and hoped that the meeting is scheduled soon.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
AAP slams BJP government for dismissing contracts of Mohalla Clinics' staff
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday accused the Delhi BJP government of dismissing thousands of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and multi-tasking workers (MTWs) from Mohalla Clinics. Responding to the allegations, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh clarified that the contracts of healthcare staff at Mohalla Clinics would be extended for one year or until the Urban Aarogya Mandirs become operational—whichever comes earlier. 'The government will not do injustice to anyone, and all eligible staff will be retained,' Singh assured. He added, 'There will be a proper hiring process for doctors, and all eligible candidates can apply. The selection will be transparent as we aim to provide the best healthcare to our people. All good doctors and healthcare workers will stay with us. Everything will be done systematically.' Earlier, during a press conference, Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the minutes of a May 7 meeting suggested plans to shut down most Mohalla Clinics in Delhi. He claimed that the reason cited was the upcoming construction of Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs, which would replace the clinics. Once an Aarogya Mandir is set up in an area, the corresponding Mohalla Clinic and its staff would be phased out, according to Bharadwaj. Bharadwaj accused the BJP of breaking pre-election promises. 'Before the elections, PM Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders assured the public that no welfare scheme started under the AAP government—whether free electricity, 20,000 litres of water, or Mohalla Clinics—would be discontinued. Yet, the new health minister's first order was to shut down 250 rented clinics,' he alleged. He also pointed out that many of the healthcare staff had been serving since 2017.
