Release National Health Mission staff salary dues: CPM

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately release the pending April salaries of around 40,000 employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) across the State, saying the delay had pushed thousands of low-paid contract workers into hardship.

In a statement, he said doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, hospital staff, and computer operators engaged on a contract basis in government primary health centres, urban health centres, and government hospitals under the NHM had yet to receive their April salaries.

Stating that the delay had severely affected employees and their families, Shanmugam said many of the workers were already earning low wages and depended entirely on their monthly income to support their livelihoods.

He urged the State government to take immediate steps to disburse the pending salaries, considering the difficulties faced by families dependent on the earnings of these contract employees.