JAMMU, September 16, 2026 – The ongoing statewide agitation by National Health Mission (NHM) employees entered its seventh consecutive day on Tuesday, severely disrupting routine healthcare services across Jammu and Kashmir. Operating under the joint banner of the UT Level Coordination Committee of NHM Employees J&K and the NHM Employees Association J&K, protesting doctors, paramedical staff, management personnel, and workers under the NTEP and RBSK schemes staged demonstrations across various districts, hospitals, and block headquarters. The strike, which initially began as a 72-hour protest on September 9, has significantly impacted medical care, particularly in rural, remote, and far-flung areas where NHM personnel serve as the critical backbone of healthcare delivery. While emergency services have been maintained with available staff, routine operations in departments like ENT, Physiotherapy, and Dental services under the RBSK scheme witnessed major disruptions, as observed at the District Hospital Ramban.
The striking workers are aggressively pushing for a comprehensive regularization policy and the strict implementation of “Equal Pay for Equal Work”. Their sweeping charter of demands also includes job and social security, golden handshake options, retirement benefits, EPF coverage for eligible categories, salary revisions with timely releases, and loyalty benefits for left-out employees. Leading major demonstrations in Gandhi Nagar and Akhnoor, Rohit Seth, President of the NHM Employees Association Jammu, asserted that contractual workers are demanding justice and dignity after years of dedicated service. Stressing that mere verbal assurances are no longer sufficient, Seth stated that the employees are seeking a concrete, written, and time-bound resolution to their long-pending demands rather than temporary favours.
Echoing this deep frustration, Dr. Hamid Parray, Chief Spokesperson of All JKNHMEA Jammu Division, highlighted the immense challenges employees face serving in the region’s difficult terrains for years without adequate job security. Reaffirming the association’s commitment to a peaceful democratic struggle under the leadership of Provincial President Dr. Vikas Sharma, Dr. Parray appealed to the striking workers for unity while urging the government to engage in constructive dialogue. The association has made a direct and urgent appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo, and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to take a compassionate view of their grievances and initiate immediate measures to resolve the escalating healthcare crisis.
Published by True Roots Media Network