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A battle against all odds
There seems to be no end to the misery of the contingent workers associated with the Medical and Health Department. From cleaning and maintaining hospital premises to assisting doctors and technicians, they do all the donkey work in the world, yet they get a paltry Rs 600 a month, while some others fortunate draw Rs 1,623. Even to get this pay, they have to wait for the release of budget that happ
Hundreds of them working in primary health centres (PHCs) have been languishing in the self-inflicted slavery with the hope that someday their jobs will be regularised
Hyderabad: There seems to be no end to the misery of the contingent workers associated with the Medical and Health Department. From cleaning and maintaining hospital premises to assisting doctors and technicians, they do all the donkey work in the world, yet they get a paltry Rs 600 a month, while some others fortunate draw Rs 1,623. Even to get this pay, they have to wait for the release of budget that happens once or twice a year.
It might surprise you but this is a truth that hundreds of contingent workers, majority of them working in primary health centres (PHCs), have been languishing in the self-inflicted slavery with the hope that someday their jobs would be regularised, pinning hopes on the GO MS No 212, Finance and Planning (FW.PC.III) Department issued on April 22, 1994, which brought light into the lives of many of their predecessors.
According to the GO, the services of such persons, who worked continuously for a minimum period of 5 years and are continuing as on November 25, 1993, be regularised by the appointing authorities subject to fulfilment of certain other conditions like age, qualification etc.
Speaking to The Hans India, B Venkateshwar Reddy, the State general secretary of Public Health and Medical Employees Union, affiliated to INTUC, said: “These contingent workers, who actually has to work for an hour or so for the upkeep of the PHCs, have been toiling hours together. Till recently, they got a paltry Rs 200 a month, and now they are getting a pay ranging between Rs 600 and Rs 1,623 a month.”
A contingent worker from Nalgonda district, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I am getting Rs 1,623 a month. Though the pay was very little, I am continuing this job for the last four years in the hope that I may be regularised sooner or later.” This apart, a few employees are fortunate to get a pay of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 a month with the courtesy of Hospital Development Society (HDS) committees.
Retired Deputy Statistical Officer (Medical & Health) and RTI activist Thokala Naraiah deplored authorities for not following standard procedure in regard with the payment to contingent workers. It has become arbitrary. Some employees who managed to be in the good books of their bosses are getting a reasonable pay. Altogether, it is nothing but exploitation of labour.
Medchal DM&HO Dr Dasya Naik said the employees working round-the-clock in PHCs are getting around Rs 6,000 a month from the funds provided by National Rural Health Mission (NHM). Khammam DM&HO A Kondal Rao said he had ensured that every contingent worker get a minimum pay of at least Rs 4,000 a month.
