Congress alleges planned removal of NHM doctors, flags healthcare crisis in Assam
The Assam Congress has alleged that the state government plans to end the tenure of NHM doctors and health workers, warning this will worsen rural healthcare
NHM workers conducting a health camp in rural Assam (Photo - @HealthGoalpara / X)
Guwahati, Nov 27: The Congress party on Monday alleged that the State government is reportedly planning to remove a section of doctors and medical staff from public service.
"According to a notification issued by the National Health Mission (NHM) on November 14, the job security of 122 doctors who have been serving in rural areas for about a year is now uncertain. The notification states that the tenure of many doctors and health workers will end by November 30. This sudden decision by the government will deprive people in rural Assam of essential healthcare services," Dr Mridupawan Mahanta, chairman of the Health Services Department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), said here.
He added, "Nearly 22,000 doctors and health workers under NHM have no job security. Although Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced in 2018 that NHM employees would be paid according to the 7th Pay Commission, the promise has not been fulfilled. As per rules, all government employees are entitled to equal pay for equal work. However, this policy is not applied to NHM workers."
Dr Mahanta asserted that despite the construction of many medical colleges in Assam, there is an acute shortage of doctors, specialists, and technical staff in these institutions.
"New buildings have been constructed, and laboratories and equipment installed, but specialists are lacking. There is a shortage of mid-wives and other staff in government hospitals. Recently, patients at a government hospital in Nalbari faced great difficulty as they could not get admission without first making an online payment through QR code, an impossible task for many village residents who do not possess smartphones. The discontinuation of the Ayushman card service has worsened the condition of poor patients," he said.
Dr Mahanta added that radiotherapy machines required for cancer treatment in government hospitals often remain defunct.
"Similarly, various cardiac care machines stay out of or-der due to lack of maintenance. As a result, critical patients are forced to seek treatment at private hospitals, where Ayushman services are unavailable. While neighbouring States continue to provide treatment in Assam using Ayushman cards, the service has been suspended within Assam, causing immense hardship to cancer patients and their families”, he said.