The detachment orders for the National Health Mission (NHM) employees have no takers in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
The detachment orders are not being implemented despite repeated and urgent communications.
One such order from the Additional Director, NHM, Hitesh Gupta, to all district health societies under order No NHM/8K/HR/AD/15 86-1619 dated December 14, 2020 called for detachment of all NHM staff attached, deputed and deployed in reference of communication SHS/NHM/J&K/HMIS/24232-24279 DPMa dated February 18, 2020.
Gupta’s order said, “Various attachments, deployments, relocations of the NHM staff are still being done by various Chief Medical Officers and Block Medical Officers without prior concurrence from this office, in contravention of the standing NHM norms and guidelines, thereby resulting in the adverse impact on the implementation of various schemes under NHM, J&K.”
The order said, “Accordingly, I am desired to request you to revoke all such attachments, deployments, relocations with immediate effect. Action taken report in this regard may be shared with this office within four working days. Further, it has been reported by some of the District Health Societies that there is a lack of coordination among the Programme Management Units resulting in adverse impact on the implementation of schemes. In this regard, all Chief Medical Officers and Block Medical Officers are requested to ensure the coordination among the Program Management Units within their respective jurisdictions. Disobedience on the part of any NHM employee should be reported to this office for action as per the rules.”
Following this, the order from Chief Medical Officer Bandipora, CMO/BPR/NHM/20-21/587-591 dated December 18, 2020 called for detachment of all NHM staff attached, deputed and deployed under reference number NHM/J&K/HR/AD/1586-1619 dated December 14, 2020.
“Go through the enclosed communication from Mission Directorate regarding detachment of NHM staff whether attached, deputed and deployed and relieve all the attached employees to their original place of posting within two days. You will implement the order in letter and spirit and submit the list of all the detached staff to this office within the stipulated time. More over all the DDOs are hereby intimated not to draw the salary unless the officials join their original place of posting physically,” the order said.
However, in Bandipora, the orders are not being implemented.
Gurez has 22 NHM staff members among which only three are working in Gurez while the rest enjoy attachment postings despite recline in COVD19.
According to Block Medical Officer Gurez, DrTahira, “Among 22, only three reported back to their original postings. Some were attached to BMO Bandipora’s office and some to Hajin during COVID19 outbreak but they haven’t reported back at their original postings.”
She said besides the attachment of NHM employees, there was also a dearth of general line doctors working at Sub District Hospital and in Gurez peripheries as they too were attached at locations outside, leaving posts vacant in Bandipora.