Discontent brewing among Community Health officers over 'wage disparity' in Bengal

Kolkata, July 26 (IANS) Discontent is brewing among a large section of the community health officers attached to Suswasthya Kendras (rural health and wellness centres) operating under the National Health Mission (NHM), over "unfavourable" employment conditions and wage "disparity" in West Bengal.

The first grievance is that almost 32 per cent of the total number of health officers have been retained on a contractual basis.

As per statistics, currently there are a total of 11,053 community health officers in West Bengal, and out of them, as many as 3,550 have been retained on a contractual basis.

According to an office bearer of the All India Association of Community Health Officer (AIACHO), first of all, appointing community health officers on a contractual basis is generally against the policy of the NHM since in case of contractual employment, the officials concerned are denied of other benefits like provident fund, gratuity and medical insurance benefits, among others.

Even if a community health officer is employed on a contractual basis, a minimum payment, both in terms of consolidated pay and additional incentives, has to be ensured, the office bearer said.

"As per the NHM guidelines, a community health officer who has been appointed on a contractual basis should receive a consolidated monthly payment of Rs 27,500 in addition to a minimum monthly incentive of Rs 15,000. Individual state governments have the liberty to pay consolidated pay and incentives above the minimum amount under these two heads. But the minimum amounts under both these heads are required to be followed by all state governments," the AIACHO office bearer pointed out.

However, he added, in the case of West Bengal, a community health officer who has been appointed on a contractual basis is paid much less under both the heads of consolidated pay and monthly incentives.

In West Bengal, the monthly consolidated payment for such contractual community health officers is fixed at Rs 19,870, and the monthly incentive has been fixed at Rs 5,000, thus adding up to a total of just Rs 24,870.

"Even in our neighbouring state of Odisha, a community health officer retained on a contractual basis is receiving a monthly pay of Rs 55,000 under the two heads combined. This disparity must end, and we must receive at least on par with the minimum amount fixed under the central policy," the AIACHO office bearer said.

--IANS

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