Contractual NRHM employees upset over posting at remote stations

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Aug 25: Owing to lack of a transfer policy, scores of contractual staff employed under the National Rural Health Mission are facing untold hardships serving remote pockets in the archipelago. Majority of the NRHM workforce particularly women posted in remote Health Centres in the Nicobar group of islands are the worst affected and a massive outcry over the state of affairs is gradually brewing, according to sources.
As per information, most of the paramedical staff viz ANMs etc appointed under NRHM have been posted in remote Health Centres like Nicobar, Teressa, Campbell Bay etc continuously for more than 10-15 years. Following the strict work schedules, huge distance of the islands from the Port Blair city and travel constraints, the NRHM employees barely get the opportunity to visit their families back at Port Blair. Female staff are the worst affected as many have suffered marital discord in the recent months. The aggrieved employees are now demanding that their counterparts serving in Port Blair and South Andaman for the last several years be transferred to remote stations for a specific duration and those serving in the Nicobar group of islands to be posted in Health Centres in Port Blair and South Andaman.
“I am posted at a remote Health Centre in the Nicobar group of islands continuously since 2008. Since my appointment, I hardly get time to visit my children and family at Port Blair, not more than twice in a year. My husband, a government employee looks after the family. Telephonic conversations have converted into verbal duels and we’re currently undergoing a strained relationship due to my job. Even a friend of mine suffered a broken relationship recently due to extended tenures in remote Health Centres. Her fiancé broke the engagement after realizing that marital bond will run into trouble due to her extended tenures in remote islands. The Health Department should sympathetically consider our cases. A policy should be formulated and all contractual employees should be posted to remote stations for a specific term on rotational basis.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha, the Director of Health Services, Dr Shipra Paul maintained that contractual employees of NRHM are informed of their place of posting prior to issuance of appointment orders. “The contractual employees submit an undertaking to serve at a particular station during appointments,” she said.