The National Rural Health Mission took break for a day on Monday, making many doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff appointed at various hospitals wonder about their continuity at work.
On Tuesday, all personnel engaged through NRHM who were reposted were expected to join for work after collecting their work orders. In Ernakulam, the posting orders were delivered at the General Hospital conference hall.
On an average, about 10-15 people in all districts have lost their jobs based on their performance appraisal by the district programme managers.
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A day’s break had come in at the end of the last financial year too when there was apprehension regarding the continuation of the Mission after five years. However, when the Union government gave its mandate to continue its flagship programme up to 2017, the various category staff engaged through NRHM to provide additional hands at every government hospital, had to take the forced break with some apprehension.
K. V. Beena, the Ernakulam district planning manager at NRHM, who also is the State programme manager (Reproductive Child Health), told The Hindu that the appraisal was conducted last year too, but the format has been changed this time.
Those scoring a minimum of 50 per cent in each category of the parameters and an overall 70 per cent would qualify to get their contracts renewed.
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The work is assessed for punctuality, job knowledge, liaison work, timely reporting and physical and financial achievements. The earlier assessment pattern provided grades for performance did not specify a minimum achievement of their work skills. However, the earlier pattern had provided a self assessment platform to all.
Abdul Noor, the president of the NRHM Employees Forum, said whole exercise seemed rather unnecessary. Some workers opined that it only resulted in harassment as workers would lose out on their leave even as some were force to work on Easter day.
The agreement between the workers and the NRHM is rather open and they can terminate a person any time. So why was the exercise of giving a break important when Health centres like some ayurveda or homoeo centres were run by people posted through NRHM, wondered Mr. Noor.
He also wonders whether the decision to break the work of NRHM for a day was with the knowledge of the government.
Many working on NRHM contract are upset over the new norms as they allege that there is little transparency in the assessment.
“There is no contention regarding an assessment but there needs to be a proper human resource development process in place,” said Mr. Noor.
There should be training and support system and also an orientation towards the appraisal, he said. “There is no clarity on how assessment of various categories will be made based on similar parameters”.
The NRHM appoints people on a three-month contract and are asked to continue till further notice. An average of 400-500 people are engaged in about every district through NRHM and in Ernakulam district about 600-700 people are engaged in Ernakulam.