Pharmacist is no-work, yes-pay
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 16
At a time when people cannot afford to be complacent in their attitude towards HIV/AIDS, some don’t seem to care at all. And a staffer attached with the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) has come under fire for not performing her duties. As a result, the Network of Tuensang District People Living with HIV/AIDS (NTDP+) and Grace Chapel (ECS) of Tuensang have written a letter to the Project Director of NSACS informing him about the absence of the pharmacist at the Tuensang ART centre, from the day of her appointment.
The letter addressed to the NSACS stated that the pharmacist appointed on April 2009 has “been found abstaining from duty from the date of appointment for reasons best known to her.” The letter which was made available to the media also mentioned that the NSACS employee has been drawing salary even without attending her duties, which the complainants termed “illegal.”
Reports from Tuensang said that the employee in question is the first pharmacist to be appointed since the ART centre was set up in 2007. ‘She was appointed because there was a dire need for a pharmacist and so it is her moral obligation to be at the place of appointment performing duties, (but) which is not so,’ the letter to the NSACS said. Her duties are being carried out by nurses, it is reported.
Further, the employee’s salary being released without her even attending a single day at work is being questioned. Some people are even wondering if there is pressure from “higher ups” to release her salary.
The NTDP+ and Grace Chapel (ECS) have requested NSACS to look into the matter and act as deemed fit. Notice about the pharmacist’s absence has been sent to Kohima earlier as well but no action was taken, it is informed. However, it is informed by sources that people availing ART facility and those associated with organizations working in the field of HIV/AIDS are not happy at all at the complacent attitude of the pharmacist and asked whether she is in the job only to enjoy her salary.
