TB patients demand daily dose as contract staff go on strike
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 27, 2012:
With over 100 contractual staff engaged in National Tuberculosis Control Programme going ahead with their ceasework agitation from today, TB patients have been deprived of their daily dose of medicines, conceded State TB Officer Dr RK Laksana while speaking to newspersons at his Lamphelpat office this afternoon.
Dr Laksana maintained that a total of 116 employees were enrolled on contract basis in 1999-2000 to implement the National Programme.
Even as monthly entitlement of the contractual staff have been held up since February, Pay Implementation Cell of Finance Department is in the process to further deduct from the monthly salary of these employees which subsequently prompted the staff to go on strike, explained the TB Officer who also clarified that reasons, if any, for which the deduction are being processed have not been intimated to the Department.
Statingthat there is no information on such deductions in other States where the National Programme is being implemented, D Laksana confided that Health Commissioner and Director have been officially conveyed on what ground the deduction is to be effected.
Observing that the Health Minister currently in the United States might be reason for the higher authorities unable to officially notify the reason for the proposed salary deduction, the Officer appealed to the striking employees to ensure that the TB patients are not deprived of their daily doses even if they are on strike.
He said information has been received about TB patients approaching respective district TB centres to demand medicines.