Abrar A. Mattoo
SRINAGAR : During the early eighties, the posts of Female Multipurpose Health Workers (FMPHW) were introduced to the Department of Health Services in Kashmir. Simultaneously, a few years later, the posts of Male Multipurpose Health Workers were also incorporated into the department, but ironically, only the men are treated as the feeding categories to the posts of Health Educators, Chief Health Officers, and other senior paramedical posts. The women, including those who have been in the service since the 1980s, have not been treated to any sort of promotion.
Incidentally, the Directorate of Health Service maintains two separate seniority lists for the Male and Female Multipurpose Health Workers in Kashmir. While the Male Multipurpose Health Workers have enjoyed all sorts of promotions, their female counterparts are said to be ineligible for any sort of promotion.
“When our diploma is same, the grade is same, the order is same, and even the post is same, how come the directorate is maintaining a separate seniority list for our male counterparts. Arguably, it is being done to steal the promotions from Female Multipurpose Health Workers in Kashmir,” Said Maroofa Parveen, President of the Female Multipurpose Health Workers Association.
“The Females had been appointed a decade ago, and naturally topped the seniority list. Therefore, it didn’t bode well with many people that women were going to be their officers. They roped in some officials and clerks in the Directorate and accordingly created a separate seniority list where the men are treated as the feeding category to the higher paramedical posts, while women, in a show of extreme gender bias, are ignored,” Maroofa added further while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
Pertinently, the J&K high court had already noticed that the Male Multipurpose Health Workers were being favored and made one of the feeding categories to the senior paramedical posts, while their female counterparts were completely ignored. Subsequently, the Hon’ble court in an order dated 20-08-2018 dictated the Directorate of Health Services to conceive a single seniority list that would feature both the male and female multipurpose workers, but to this date, the order has not been implemented.
“There are people who don’t let our case file get ahead any further in the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir. The court, the Governor, and all the other higher institutions have given directions to the concerned authorities to look into this matter of grave injustice, but there are some people in the directorate who don’t let our case progress any further. These people are the same clerks and officials who helped our male counterparts usurp our promotions,” Mehbooba Akhtar, Gen-Secretary Female Multipurpose Health workers Association, said while speaking with Kashmir Despatch.
When Kashmir Despatch reached the office of Dr. Bashir Ahmad, Dy-Director Health Service Kashmir, to record his take on the issue, the official said that the Directorate has forwarded the file pertaining to the case of FMPHW’s to the General Administration Department.
“We have duly submitted a proposal for amendments in the SRO-20 to the government. Once the government gives a nod, we would begin the work in earnest,” the official added further.
The Female Multipurpose Health Workers have been fighting for their cause for almost two decades, and it remains to be seen whether justice is nigh for them, because it’s easier said, than done.
Evidently, Female multi-purpose health workers are the most important frontline workers in the Indian Health system who provide primary, promotive, and curative health care for almost all the national health programs, especially in rural areas and catchment villages. During the Covid-19 Pandemic too, the Female Multipurpose Health Workers were fighting in the frontline to beat the virus.
“Despite our gender and familial responsibilities, we have been in the frontlines in our fight against the Coronavirus, but unfortunately, we are being ignored and our sacrifices negated,” lamented another senior Female Health Worker while speaking with Kashmir Despatch.
