100 health officials boycott covid duty

Claim that the state has failed to provide them due increment

Over 100 Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) staff in the state, employed on contract, boycotted their covid-19 duties on Friday, claiming that the state had failed to provide them due increment.

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On April 23, the state government had ordered hike in salaries of around 100 IDSP employees on covid-19 duty by giving them an increment. This order, however, was withdrawn after other employees, also under the National Health Mission (NHM) demanded a similar hike; the IDSP is under the NHM. IDSP workers stay on the field to collect data on diseases, conduct surveys and maintain surveillance. They are part of health department teams dealing with daily covid-19 data.

Professionals like epidemiologists, microbiologists, entomologists, finance consultants, data managers and entry operators work under the IDSP. “We are working round the clock on covid-19 duty and oversee 12 other programmes. We are not going to work until the state government issues an order to give us the increment announced last month,” said Dr Anita Chauhan, an epidemiologist from Faridkot.

Dr Naresh Amla, covid-19 nodal officer Moga said, “We collect samples and data of suspected patients, put ourselves at risk, and yet get nothing in return.” Punjab NHM director Kumar Rahul could not be contacted.