Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing protest in Bhubaneswar over demands to regularise the jobs, two Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers Tuesday tried to set themselves on fire by pouring kerosene on their bodies at Master Canteen square, close to the protest-site. They were however overpowered by other protesting ANM workers and safely rescued from what could have been a disastrous incident.
Not only have they been sitting on a dharna for the last 18 days at Lower PMG square here, but many of them have also resorted to a hunger strike alleging that the concerned authorities have failed to act on their grievances.
It is being said that the two ANM workers today took the extreme step to draw the attention of the government. Immediately after the incident, police rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
"Our only demand is regularisation of jobs, but none seems concerned. We have sacrificed so much working for the people during Covid times, but look at our condition now, our jobs have been taken away. I would like to urge the Chief Minister to help us. Is this how women are treated in the State? We want justice," said a worker.
“We were appointed at panchayat level to work at Covid Care Homes (CCH). Many of us have not received a salary for the services we have done. The government removed us from the job without any notice after three months of the appointment. We want reinstatement,” said another protesting member.
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It is pertinent to mention that the State Government had engaged some 21,000 ANMs, staff nurses and Pharmacists on a temporary basis to augment the health workforce for smooth functioning of Covid Care Homes (CCH) when n-CoV infections were exploding in Odisha. They were appointed on a daily wage basis for a period of three months or till the CCHs are functional, reports claim.
A few protesting workers were even hospitalised three days back when their health condition deteriorated during the fast-unto-death demonstration.