Health workers bring services to a standstill

Ramechhap, August 18:

Services in all health centres in the district have come to a halt since yesterday after the employees started an agitation demanding promotions.

Protest programmes are being held in all the health centres.

However, emergency services have not been hit, a health worker of the primary health centre, Chinimaya Bal, said.

With the closure of 41 sub-health posts, 12 health posts, one primary health centre and one district hospital yesterday and today, all health services have been affected in the district.

Health technicians, rural health workers, maternity child workers, assistant health workers, assistant nurses and midwives have been demanding promotion and said the agitation will continue until their demands are met. The agitation will also affect the National Polio Day programme.

Meanwhile, a strike called by fourth-level health workers demanding promotion has hit services at health offices in Palpa and Gulmi. The agitating employees have left for the district headquarters to join the agitation. As the health posts are closed, regular vaccination services and DOTS programme meant for tuberculosis patients are also affected.

A hospital, four health centres, 13 health posts, 65 sub-health posts and an ayurved centre closed for an indefinite period from yesterday.

All but emergency health services in rural areas and in the district have been affected, the secretary of the health assistant fourth-level and interest conservation ad hoc committee, Prakash Aryal, told this daily.

A total of 250 health workers in Palpa district staged sit-in protests in the public health office and the district hospital and disrupted services. Coordinator of the district agitation committee, Sri Raj Acharya, said the protest programmes will continue. “Even the vaccination programme at the national level will be affected if our demands are not met,” he said.