Aizawl: Members of the Mizoram Contract Health Workers Association staged a protest on Monday in front of the Chief Minister’s Bungalow, voicing their anger and disappointment over the Health Department’s recent advertisement to recruit 100 new health workers through direct recruitment.
The protesting health workers, who have been serving under the National Health Mission (NHM) on a contractual basis, said the decision was a breach of repeated assurances given to them by various officials, including ministers. They claimed they had long been promised that regular posts would be filled on the basis of seniority and service length among existing contract workers.
We have served the state through the NHM for years, often under difficult conditions and without the security of permanent employment. We were assured again and again that we would be regularised based on our experience and seniority. Now, the government is opening direct recruitment without keeping its promise, and we are deeply hurt and angry, said the protesters.
The Association demanded that at least 50 out of the 100 advertised posts be reserved for current NHM contract workers. They also called on the government to amend the recruitment rules to allow NHM contract workers who may not hold computer certificates or who may have crossed the age limit to be eligible to apply.
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