Srinagar, July 25: Covid-19 continues to tighten its grip in Jammu and Kashmir with case tally of around 17000 while over 300 lives have been lost to it as on Saturday. Lockdown has been re-imposed in all districts in Kashmir Valley in a bid to contain the spread.

On a parallel front, over a thousand workers across the Jammu and Kashmir‒ who continue to act as a resilient workforce against the pandemic, await regularization since 2011.
“We are unable to fathom the delay in our regularization when the government claims that the heath sector remains the top priority for it,” a Pharmacist who works in a government-run hospital said.

“I along with more than a thousand other employees such as laboratory, X-ray, Theatre and Anaesthesia Technologists besides Nurses and Pharmacists etc are working since 2011 at GMC run hospitals like Bone & Joint Hospital, C.D. Hospital, SMHS Hospital, G.B. Pant Children Hospital, L.D Hospital, Psychiatry Disease Hospital on academic arrangement basis in consonance with SRO-384 without any regularization policy framed by the government,” said that pharmacist who has already surpassed age for the eligibility in government services.

Another paramedic said that they have worked in tough times like 2014 floods, 2016 civil unrest and now in 2020 corona pandemic as frontline warriors. “We continue to risk our lives and discharge services at par with the regular employees of these hospitals. Unlike regulars, we do not have a sure future and do not have service benefits like leave, full salary, promotion avenues etc.”

Another employee said that most of the incumbents have crossed the age eligibility to apply afresh for any posts if advertised.

“There are hundreds of the posts which have not been filled up on permanent basis since 2011 by Health and Medical Education Department and services of non-permanent employees are being utilized as per the SRO-384,” the employees said, adding, “The paramedics have been recruited through a transparent mode of selection and against available vacancies already vetted by the Finance Department.”

As per the SRO, the paramedics said, the incumbents had to be terminated after six years or till the posts were filled up on permanent basis, whichever was earlier.

However, they said, the posts have not been referred to the recruiting agencies while the incumbents continued to discharge their services for more nearly a decade now.

“We never shy away from discharging duties even during the present circumstances when we not only risk our lives but that of our families also. The government should up with a clear policy and save our future,” they said. (GNS)