KULGAM, Sept 12: Political activist Zulfkar Razatullah Hussain on Saturday joined the protesting National Health Mission (NHM) employees in Kulgam and extended his support to their long-pending demands, including the formulation of a regularisation policy.
Speaking to the reporters on the sideline of the proteste, Hussain said that NHM workers have been rendering their services since 2005 and have played an important role in strengthening the healthcare system, particularly at the grassroots level.
He said the NHM workforce comprises highly qualified professionals, including people holding MBBS, MSc and BSc degrees, and stressed that their services cannot be viewed as an unskilled or informal profession.
“These employees have been working since 2005. They have qualifications such as MBBS, MSc and BSc, and they have dedicated years of their lives to serving the people. They are an important backbone of the health department,” Hussain said.
He called upon the government to seriously consider the demands of NHM employees and formulate a comprehensive policy for the regularisation of eligible workers.
Hussain also highlighted the financial difficulties being faced by NHM employees in view of the rising cost of living and inflation.
“I don’t think an NHM employee can comfortably educate his two children on the present salary, when inflation is rising day by day. The government must understand the difficulties being faced by these employees and their families,” he said.