Shah Basit

Ganderbal | September 11: The 72-hour strike by NHM employees in Ganderbal entered its day 3 on Friday, with employees continuing their protest in support of their long-pending demands, including equal pay for equal work, regularisation of services, salary revision, and job security.

The strike has started affecting healthcare services across Ganderbal district. There are a total of 57 Health and Wellness Centres in the district, of which around 45 centres are reportedly non-functional due to the strike.

The protesting employees said they have been working on a contractual basis for years while performing responsibilities similar to those of permanent employees. They are demanding regularisation of eligible employees, a clear job policy, retirement benefits, continuity of service, and better job security.

The employees appealed to the government to immediately initiate dialogue with them and address their long-pending demands, saying NHM workers play an important role in delivering healthcare services at the grassroots level in Ganderbal.