India: 600 workers off duty, tuberculosis prevention hit
NEW DELHI: The prevention and management of tuberculosis - one of the deadliest communicable diseases - has been hit badly in the city due to strike by health workers. Over 600 employees working in the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program have been off-duty for over three weeks raising apprehensions about the spread of the disease. They are demanding regularization in service and hike in remuneration.
On Sunday, the Delhi government issued an order warning the striking employees of 'stern action' if they do not join work with immediate effect. "The striking staff has been assured of an increase of up to 35% in their remuneration and a recommendation to this effect has been sent to the central government. An annual increment formula along with other benefits such as leave is also under consideration. However, the said sections on contractual staff of RNTCP are continuing their illegal strike affecting the services to be provided to TB patients," stated the government release.
R M Tripathi, president of All-India TB Federation, said the government has been giving assurances ever since they started their agitation for regularization. "Nothing concrete has materialized. Our colleagues, who have to visit TB patients and monitor their dosage, do not even get medical benefits. Some of them have died due to multi-drug resistant TB," he said.
The Delhi government has issued an order warning the striking employees of 'stern action' if they do not join work immediately.
Source: The Times of India
