The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir administration is looking for a permanent solution to issues pertaining to employees of the Health and Family Welfare department, an official said.

Director, Health and Family Welfare J&K, Dr Tabassum Jabeen said that salary issues of Health and Family Welfare employees are old but the department is looking for a permanent solution. “This problem is old and their salaries are coming up but that is not the permanent solution as it is for the time being only,” she said.

“We are into it and even today, we had a meeting in this regard so as to find a permanent solution,” she added.

Notably, thousands of employees of Health and Family Welfare in J&K are without salaries for the last five to six months due to which they have been going through a very tough time. The employees, including deputy Chief Medical Officers, educators and FMPHWs, said that they are without salaries for the last five months and even they didn't get salaries on Eid-ul-Fitr eve.

President of Health and Family Welfare J&K, Neelofar said that the education of their children gets affected since they are not able to pay their fees regularly and despite putting in their best efforts during the COVID pandemic, they have to literally beg for salaries.

Vice-president of the association, Masarat Jabeen told the news agency KNO that they never received salaries on time, especially on festivals like Eid and despite working day and night like other employees, they are being given stepmotherly treatment due to unknown reasons.

“We are unable to submit the fee of our children, bring clothes and other necessary items in the absence of salaries since December last year,” Jabeen said.

The other members of the association said that despite meeting the Chief Secretary; Secretary, Health and other higher officials in this regard, nothing is being done on the ground. The employees said that every director and health secretary promises them that their issues will be solved permanently but that isn't happening on the ground.

They requested LG Manoj Sinha and other concerned officials to intervene in the matter and take immediate steps so that this issue gets resolved once and for all.

Chief Accounts Officer, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, while acknowledging that employees are without salaries for the last 5-6 months, said that they have received the payment and within days, employees will get the salary.

Officials said that thousands of employees working in health centres across J&K for Health & Family Welfare under a Centrally-sponsored scheme have never got their salaries in time. They said employees working under 2210-Head never face such issues and get their salaries on time but on the other hand, workers working under 2211-Head have to bear the issue of delay in salaries.

They said that despite being permanent employees of the Union Territory (UT), they have to come on the roads for their salaries. “It is a Centrally-sponsored scheme but since 2021, the Government of India has issued a circular that States/UTs must spend the amount first on themselves. But that is not being done in J&K yet,” they said.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir has recorded an impressive improvement of sex ratio at birth from 923 to 976 while neonatal mortality rate and infant mortality rate are on the decline.

According to the annual report 2020-21 of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a copy of which is with the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Jammu & Kashmir Health Scheme has been approved for the UT of J&K in convergence with Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jani Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide free of cost insurance cover up to 25 lakhs per household per year.

"In order to meet the additional requirement of Medical Oxygen facilities in the prevailing situation of COVID-19, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has started installation of Oxygen Generation Plants/Manifold Gas Pipeline system in 37 COVID dedicated Health institutions at a cost of 2223.80 crores under Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Budget 2020-21,” said the report.

"Besides, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Gol has provided 908 additional ventilators for various hospitals of the UT in view of the COVID-19 pandemic," it added.

"A multipronged strategy was adopted by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir for revamping the health sector by way of improving health care delivery services, up-gradation of health infrastructure, improvement in supply chain mechanism and reforms in Medical and Nursing Education. This has led to the overall improvement of the key health indicators of the UT of J&K over the years,” it said.

It added, "The Neonatal Mortality Rate (NNMR) of J&K has reached single digit at 9.8 per 1000 live births, recording a 13.3 points decrease and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined to 16.3 with a decrease of 16 points.”

"Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined to 18.5 with a decrease of 19 points and Sex Ratio at birth has also recorded an improvement from 923 to 976,” it said.

"Antenatal Check-ups (ANC) of pregnant mothers in the first trimester have increased from 76.7% to 86.6% and Institutional births have increased from 85.5% to 92.4%,” it added.

"Percentage of fully immunized children (12-23 months) against vaccine-preventable diseases has increased to 96.5% which is the second-highest in the country and Life Expectancy at Birth in J&K has reached 74 years, which is highest in the country after Kerala and Delhi, while the national average is 69.4 years,” it said.

This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse