Indefinite ‘No Pay, No Work,’ agitation underway
Dimapur, October 12 (MExN): Citing ‘unresolved issues’ regarding unpaid salary and performance based incentives of 105 Community Health Officers (CHOs) since April 2022, the Nagaland Association of Community Health Officers (NACHO) has informed that it has initiated ‘phase-wise agitation.’
The 105 CHOs who are working at different Health and Wellness Centres in rural areas of Nagaland have been unpaid since April 2022. “And in view of the department’s (Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland ) and in particular NHM (National Health Mission), Nagaland failure to resolve the issue even after giving repeated notices and ultimatum, the NACHO has decided to demand for solution in the form of phase-wise agitation,” it stated in a press release on Wednesday.
According to the Association, the affected 105 CHOs would continue total ceasework under the slogan ‘No Pay, No Work,’ indefinitely until the issue is resolved.
“The unaffected CHOs will show solidarity through wearing of a black badge on all official duty and programmes” from October 11 to 17, and after which “NACHO shall move forward to further intensify agitation if the issue is not resolved within the stipulated period.”
The agitation will be limited to when and if the issues regarding unpaid salaries and PBIs are released, it added.
Meanwhile, the Association said that CHOs who are appointed under Ayushman Bharat (NHM) for comprehensive health care at grass root level take up the responsibility that is considered ‘less than a Doctor and more than a nurse.’
According to the Association, the CHOs have been posted all over Nagaland in the hard-to-reach remotest and far flung areas rendering services to the community bringing healthcare closer to their doorsteps even in harsh conditions. However, with the pending salaries, the affected CHOs are facing untold hardships even to meet their basic needs, it maintained.
This, it said, has demoralized the whole cadre taking into account the failure of the Department to release their rightful salaries for the past 6 months.
“The present scenario has been very difficult to bear as we cannot survive with mud and stone. In lieu of that, we are compelled to immediately cease work and regretfully inform that we would not be able to provide our services to the public until our due salary is paid,” it stated in the release.
