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Dimapur, May 30 (EMN): National People's Party (NPP) Nagaland and Naga People's Front (NPF) have decried the state government and the department of Health and Family Welfare for the alleged lapse in timely payment of salaries of medical officers assigned for Covid-19 duties in various districts.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NPP stated that it was ‘appalling’ to see how the ones who were risking their lives to save numerous people were ‘being denied of their own rights to earn a livelihood.’
“It is in fact, a crime to deny them their salaries and utterly wrong in every sense no matter which way the Government wants the public to look at it. As a matter of fact, these brave frontline workers should actually be the first ones to be given their remunerations. How can they function when their rights are violated so shamelessly? The Government is neither feeding them food, nor paying their dues on time and yet expects them do stand steadfast and work tirelessly? It is like sending the soldiers to war without equipping them with necessary arms and ammunitions and also without supply of ration,” read the statement.
NPP said that they not only have the responsibility of their families but also the weight of the community’s health welfare on their shoulders.
“We can only imagine how stressful it must be for them to function under such demanding circumstances all while being rewarded absolutely nothing for their services. We cannot be grateful enough for to the doctors, nurses and several other frontline workers, who are at the moment the only hope lighting the way for our people. We stand together with all the doctors and frontline workers and demand immediate action towards this unruly treatment on the government’s end,” it read.
The party also expressed concern at the state government’s measures ‘to handle the various loopholes of lockdown’. It questioned whether they were coming up with constructive measures to help the ‘needy and the affected’.
“The daily wage earners have no doubt been extremely burned from the crisis of this pandemic lockdown and for that matter, is the government looking after their needs? Are free essential commodities being distributed to them equally? Are they able to reach out to the grass root level? We cannot deny the fact that people are actually dying of poverty and starvation more than the virus. It is extremely irrational of the State Government to blame all crises on the virus while doing nothing in their power to help the needy ones,” it said.
Furthermore, NPP expressed it gratitude to all the frontline workers for their relentless; and NGOs, civic bodies, institutions and individuals who are going out of their way in helping the society in their own capacity and free will donations.
Meanwhile, NPF Spokesperson Imkong L Imchen lashed out at the ruling PDA government for the “colossal failure” in running the state.
“If doctors and nurses cannot be paid on time even after all the sacrifices and hard work they put in, what moral authority does this government have to be still running the affairs of the state?” he questioned.
Imchen further questioned how some hospitals in the state continue to lack doctors when medical officers have been appointed in “huge numbers.”
“It is sad to read about the case of Shamator and Tening hospitals wherein there is no doctor in the hospital. It must be pointed out for context that these two hospitals fall under the constituency of ruling NDPP MLAs. If hospitals run in the absence of doctors and other medical personnel, what hope can the people have in their fight against Covid?” read the statement.
The NPF spokesperson also highlighted the sealing of hospitals due to detection of Covid positive cases, wherein he questioned the “logical reasoning and advice” about why hospitals were sealed and patients not allowed to get admitted.
“Isn't there a precautionary and preventive mechanism to sanitise the hospitals on a regular basis so that the hospitals itself does not become a super spreader of the virus? Rather than working to help the sick, hospitals gets sealed and refuse to see people who come to hospitals for medical assistance.
“The PDA government's lack of direction and wisdom has put many lives at risk and brought many tears of sorrow and grief to Naga families who are unable to get access to the basic medical assistance other than Covid related. It is unprincipled and hazardous to copy and do exactly like others without considering the ground reality of one's own state condition and shortcomings. The amount of money received by the state government from the Central government and also the freewill donations by the church bodies, NGOs and individuals have vanished into thin air unaccounted in the name of Covid. Besides the negligible amount parted to the respective district task forces in the State during the first wave of the pandemic, what financial assistance is accorded to them? What incentives are being given to the frontline workers viz. the medical fraternity, the state security forces and the various other groups who are tirelessly working for the general welfare of the people of the State?” read the statement.
Furthermore, he stated that the pro rata cut on all non-development funds of 15% in 2020-21 and 20% in 2021-22 from all departments is “nothing but a sheer daylight theft of public money and not to mention the tax on petroleum products as Covid cess in the year 2020”, he added.