Day 3: NHM employees hold massive demonstration

National Health Mission (NHM) employees across Punjab continued their statewide strike for the third consecutive day, protesting against two months of pending salaries and demanding immediate intervention from the state government.

As part of the protest programme announced by the NHM Employees Union, Punjab, workers gathered outside the Civil Surgeon’s office in Kapurthala and held a massive demonstration, accusing the government of neglect and indifference toward their rightful demands.

Employees, distressed by financial and mental pressure due to salary delays, warned the ruling Aam Aadmi Party that the same workforce capable of bringing the party to power also had the strength to remove it. They cautioned that if their issues remain unresolved, the government would face a strong response from the NHM employees in the next elections.

Union leaders stated that all departmental activities, including online and offline reporting, daily OPD, and other routine operations, have been halted as part of the strike.

ANM union district leader Sharanjit Kaur added that today’s vaccination programme was boycotted, stressing the need for salaries to be released by the 5th of every month. The union also threatened to intensify the agitation if the government failed to act.

Leaders criticised the state government for backtracking on pre-election promises and ignoring the essential demands of employees, calling it a failure on every front. They held the government solely responsible for the disruption of public health services caused by the ongoing strike.

The union announced that on December 4, NHM Punjab leaders would march to the office of the Mission Director and hold a gherao to escalate their protest.

Various district-level officials and employees, including Jatinder Sandhu, Vinay Mallan, Raminder, Avneesh, Pankaj Walia, Kamaljeet, Dr. Navpreet, Dr. Harkawal, Kamaljeet Singh, Priyanka, Dr. Amanpreet, Manish Kumar, Santosh Kumari, Paramjit Kaur, Monica, and Sona, were among those present at the demonstration.