DS Jagadeesh, aged 63 years has been given a ‘Corona Warrior’ award on Independence Day, for his service as an ambulance driver in this pandemic. He used to carry patients from Channagiri taluk hospital to Davanagere district hospital, from the neighbouring villages to the taluk hospital, and COVID-19 patients to COVID Care Centres in Kerebilchi and Kakanur. He is an outsourced health worker, which was hired by the health and family welfare department via an agency. His salary was Rs 11,600 per month, with no pension or transfer option, no job security or incentives or leave. His counterparts were permanent workers and used to drive ambulances for the government and had earnings of around Rs 36,000 per month along with regular increments.

The Karnataka government is facing added opposition with ASHA workers on strike. This time approximately 30,000 contract and outsourced healthcare workers stayed off duty on Thursday. The workers come under health and family welfare and medical education departments, and their foremost demands are regularisation, hike in payment on par with permanent employees along with job security.

On 3rd June, a committee was formed to look into their demands and was asked to submit a report within three months, which has yet not happened. President of Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department, and Contractual & Outsourced Employees’ Association, Vishwaradhya HY said that officials of the department have threatened to fire them if they don’t return to work, but this time they will not budge. Many workers have still not received salaries for 2-3 months. They also don’t get COVID risk incentive or compensation in case they die on duty, nor do they have health or life insurance.

The association covers Ayush doctors, staff nurses, ambulance drivers, data entry operators, counsellors, lab technicians, supervisors, ANMs and health programme supervisors. A regular Ayush doctor earns Rs 56,000 in a contract or an outsourced Ayush doctor earns between Rs 17,000 and Rs 25,000. A staff nurse gets payment of Rs 34,000, whereas a contract nurse gets Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000. An ANM staff gets Rs 30,000 and a contract ANM earns RS 8,000 to RS 10,000. Vishwaradhya said that ifthe officials call them for discussions and fulfil their promises then they won’t go on strike.

Source: The New Indian Express