Raipur – The health sector in Chhattisgarh is facing severe disruption after more than 14,000 contractual officers and employees of the National Health Mission (NHM) submitted their resignations. The move came in protest against the state government’s dismissal of 25 NHM staff leaders who had been spearheading the ongoing agitation.
The employees have been on strike since August 18, demanding regularisation of services, grade pay, creation of a public health cadre, and better working conditions. However, instead of resolving the long-pending issues, the government responded with punitive action, said office-bearers of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh NHM Karamchari Sangh.
Healthcare services across the state, including immunisation, neonatal care, physiotherapy, tuberculosis medicine distribution, and the issuance of birth and death certificates, have been severely affected.
According to officials, the State Health Committee’s executive body, in a meeting on August 13, accepted four of the ten demands raised by NHM workers. These included transparency in performance evaluation, 30 days of paid leave for health emergencies, a 27 per cent salary hike, and cashless health insurance worth ₹10 lakh. A committee was also formed to review other demands such as grade pay, transfer policy, and compassionate appointments. However, the more contentious issues—regularisation of services, creation of a public health cadre, and reservation in recruitment—remain under consideration at the highest levels of government.
Despite repeated notices, the protesting staff did not return to duty, prompting the dismissal of 25 employees on September 3. The termination orders cited misconduct under the Chhattisgarh Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1965, and violations of the HR Policy, 2018. Among those dismissed were union leaders Dr. Amit Kumar Miri, Kaushlesh Tiwari, and Hemant Kumar Sinha.
Calling the dismissals “repressive,” the union announced that 14,678 NHM employees had resigned in protest, and thousands more would follow. “We will not withdraw until our demands are addressed. A press conference in Raipur on Saturday will announce our next steps,” said Sinha.
Union president Dr. Miri argued that employees had exercised their constitutional rights, but repeated memoranda—submitted over 160 times—were ignored. “Instead of dialogue, we are being served termination letters on WhatsApp. If the same urgency was shown in resolving our issues, this crisis could have been avoided,” he said.
Mission Director Dr. Priyanka Shukla defended the government, pointing out that several demands were already accepted and under process. She maintained that only the state’s top leadership can decide on regularisation and structural reforms.
As the standoff deepens, health services remain crippled, raising concerns about the impact on vulnerable communities who rely heavily on NHM facilities.
