Srinagar, July 20: Doctors working under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) have resented the recent move of the authorities wherein they have been asked to sign an undertaking contrary to the set norms of the scheme.
 According to the said undertaking, the doctors are liable to perform duties in any other place in the state or even outside on the orders of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the said district or any other authorized officer. However, the doctors say that the move is contrary to the NRHM norms which clearly imply that the posting in NRHM is non-transferable. “The clause can be easily misused and is meant to adjust some blue-eyed candidates,” the NRHM doctors allege.
 Similarly, according to the undertaking, the two-month honorarium of the doctors working under NRHM will be kept as security and will be paid only after the culmination of the contract. “We have to work for three months and then only we will be paid one month salary. This is a sheer injustice,” said an NRHM doctor working in Islamabad (Anantnag) district.
 He said the authorities should also make it clear that who is the beneficiary of the amount of interest incurred on the two-month salary of NRHM doctors and other staffers.
 Another clause in the undertaking mentions that the District Health Society authorities; District Development Commissioner (DDC) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) are entitled to terminate the services  of the doctors or other employees working under NRHM without giving them any prior notice. This, according to the doctors, is again contrary to the norms. “Nowhere in the country are the NRHM doctors or other staff terminated without giving any prior notice. So the step is not justified,” said another NRHM doctor working in Kulgam district.
 The doctors said that the state government was not issuing necessary grant in favor of NRHM scheme in the state as a result of which they were paid less than their counterparts in other states. 
 “In other states the state government also grants funds in favor of the scheme but here the scheme entirely relies on funds received from the centre. So, we are being paid less salary than our counterparts,” the doctors said.
 Director NRHM, Dr Yashpal Sharma, when contacted, however, said, “The clause of performing duties outside state is meant for those who are entitled to undergo necessary training.”
 Regarding the termination of services, Dr. Sharma said, “The services of doctors and other staff in NRHM are contractual, and as per rules can be terminated after serving a prior notification of one month.” Similarly, he said, “In the contractual services, there is a provision of keeping two months’ salary as security”.  

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST