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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 18 (EMN): Dr. Neikhrielie Khimiao, Principal Director of Health and Family Welfare department, on Monday assured that the salaries of aggrieved doctors and nurses will be disbursed within four days.
He confirmed this to Eastern Mirror, days after health workers, who were recruited in November last year to assist other medical personnel in combating Covid-19 in the state, expressed disappointment over non-payment of their salaries since June this year.
This newspaper had reported about it on October 9, where in Khimiao had said that the department would clear the salaries in a day or two after authentication by the Treasury and Finance department.
Khimiao said on Monday that the Health department had submitted the list and necessary details of healthcare workers to the concerned authority for verification.
It was informed that except for some medical professionals from Zunheboto district, the rest of the health workers from other districts have been submitted details like hard copies of bank passbook front page, Aadhaar card etc., which are required for payment of salaries.
“Few of them (health workers) who did not submit their details may not get their salaries; otherwise whichever details the department received have already been submitted,” he said, adding that required details should reach to the directorate through the chief medical officer.
Informing that Tuesday will be a holiday in view of Id-e-Milad, while Wednesday is a non-transaction day in the Treasuries and Accounts department, he said that the salaries will be disbursed to the doctors and nurses after that.
“On Thursday and Friday, they will start getting their salaries,” assured Khimiao, adding that the necessary amount would be released directly to the bank account numbers from Treasuries and Accounts.
He also reiterated that the amount had been already sanctioned earlier but there were some government procedures which need to be followed, as financial authentication is required from the concerned department.
Meanwhile, a doctor from the batch that was last paid salary in June, informed that some medical professionals who were appointed this year haven’t received their salaries yet.
He said that some were unable to pay school fees for their children due to prolonged non-payment of salary and were even contemplating “no pay no work” agitation if the issue wasn’t solved.
He informed that the district representatives from their batch had met the minister of Health and Family Welfare, the principal secretary and other medical officials regarding the matter but no positive outcome was seen.
A state medical official also expressed concern over the delay in paying of salaries to doctors and nurses have been rendering their services to the people tirelessly, especially during the pandemic.