SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 31: The Covid-19 frontline workers of the district will soon receive their pending payments for the services provided during the Corona pandemic.
A social activist Sunil Mahto had brought the troubles faced by the frontline contractual workers at Govindpur community health centre (CHC) to attention and urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Health Minister Banna Gupta through Twitter regarding their pending payment since April 2021.
@HemantSorenJMM मुख्यमंत्री धनबाद जिले के सामुदायिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्र गोविंदपुर के कोविड-19 फ्रंटलाइन वर्कर वैक्सीनेशन ऑपरेटर अपनी जान में जोखिम डालकर वैक्सीनेशन कार्यक्रम को सफल किया, लेकिन मजदूरी भुगतान अभी तक नहीं होने के कारण भुखमरी की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो गया है, @BannaGupta76 pic.twitter.com/3Fsz9onsWA
— Tiger Sunil Mahto 🇮🇳 🐦 (@tigersunilraj12) August 24, 2022
The data operators and Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) in their complaint to the chief minister and health minister claimed that they have been working for the Covid vaccination campaign at Govindpur CHC since April 2021 but in lack of payment, they are facing hand-to-mouth problems.
The beleaguered health workers said they complained in the Cell of the Deputy Commissioner’s office regarding the payment but to no avail. These health workers were enrolled on a contract basis on the directive of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for the Covid-19 control campaign.
Dhanbad Civil Surgeon (CS) Dr Alok Viswakarma admitted that the payment of these workers (data operators and VLE) is pending.
“District health department and deputy commissioner both have written to the state government for their payment and the problem is likely to be solved soon,“ said CS Dr Vishwakarma, who took the charge recently.
The CS said that the government had released Rs 4 crores for the payment to all Frontline workers but the dues were over Rs 5 crores. So, the payment of some of the workers is still pending.
He further added that the government has allotted Rs 49 lakh for clearing the pending payment in which Rs 19 lakh has been released in the first phase. The process is on and the dues of the workers would be cleared soon.
On a complaint by another Twitter user Vishal Kumar Mahto about no availability of doctors at the health centres at Topchanchi block, Dr Vishwakarma said that no health centre in this block is without a doctor. “Not only during days but also at nights, the doctors attend duties at the designated place in the district,” he said.
— Vishal Kumar Mahto (@VishalKrMahto) August 30, 2022
In the complaint addressed to the chief minister, health minister and Dumri MLA Jagarnath Mahto over the absence of the medical officer-in-charge at Topchanchi CHC by Vishal, Dr Vishwakarma said Dr Bharali has been deployed there from Govindpur CHC in place of Dr Sweta Ranjan who has gone on training. Moreover, Dr Sandhya Tiwary and Dr A Kumar have also been posted there. So there is no absence of doctors.
