'Equal pay for equal work': National Health Mission medical staff in J&K’s Bhalessa begin 72-hour strike over salary cuts

JAMMU: Medical staff working under the National Health Mission (NHM) have launched a 72-hour strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhalessa district, alleging that 2.5 days’ salary has been deducted from their monthly pay, news agency ANI reported. The protest began on Thursday outside the Sub-District Hospital in Gandoh, where healthcare workers gathered with posters outlining their demands. They said the deducted amount had traditionally been paid as compensation for overtime duties. The strike was called following an official notice issued by the Medical Employees Federation of Jammu and Kashmir. “This protest is for the salary of 2.5 days. We used to get the salary for 2.5 days because we did our duty on Sundays, gazetted holidays, and nights,” one of the protestors said. Another demonstrator alleged disparity between NHM and regular staff. “Our regular staff's salary for 2.5 days should be released... Why are we from NHM not getting equal salary? I request the state government to increase our salary or make us regular,” the protestor said. The National Health Mission is a central government programme that provides financial and technical support to states and Union Territories to improve access to healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations. It focuses on strengthening rural healthcare systems through better infrastructure, increased human resources and improved service delivery, with decentralised planning at the district level, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.