But her happiness did not last long, as activists of several employee unions launched protest against the transferred order. Under the pressure of unions, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) on Thursday withdrew transfer order that victimized employees like shah who have not been transferred for years.[break]
Shah, a neuro patient, had gone to ministry and to all health offices to tell them how much she needed the transfer. She even told her problems to union leaders. "Officer of District Health Office suggests me to resign when I told him about health complications," she complained, "I can neither walk for long, nor can I quit the job." She said that she does not want to quit her job for financial reasons.
Similarly, Mohani Sahai, 40, another auxiliary nurse mid wife posted at Jambutaadh health post in Dailekh, has been receiving treatment for depression at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for several years. She said that she would not have to take leave to come capital for treatment if the transfer order was not withdrawn. Shahi, who has not been transferred for 16 years, is taking leave on deputation.
Likewise, Janaki Hitan, 32 a health worker serving at Primary Health Care Center at Kumalgaun in Kalikot has not been transferred for the past 11 years. "I am suffering from several health complications and have been away from my family for the past 11 years," she said adding, "When all our union leaders are living with their family, why can´t we get transferred in vacant post in our district."
Speaking to journalists on Friday morning the employees poured out their grievances. "Who will listen to our problems? Our leaders are enjoying blissful life in the capital with their family but we are dying in remote village without treatment," Hitan complained. She accused the union leaders of never having served in remote areas and had not been transferred for years. They used political influence and money to stay in their preferred place. "They do not want to go in remote parts and this protest is its repercussion which severely hits employees like me," Shahi said.
Chairman of Nepal Health worker union, Bhagirath Banya concedes that employees who have access to leaders and ministry have not been transferred for years and are living in district headquarters and cities. "Our protest was for fair transfers and for the colleagues who are really are not getting justice," he said. He said 95 percent of recent transfers have not been fair and only those who have direct access to ministry and senior health officials or those who gave bribes were transferred.
However, an employee who is against the protest of union said that he did not know the fairness of recent transfer conducted by ministry but what he knows is the unions also collect money from employees who want transfer.
Meanwhile, the agitating employees have withdrawn all their protest programs from Friday, which they launched against recent transfer order by the ministry. The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) had transferred 597 health workers at various health centers across the country during the festival of Tihar.
The agitating trade unions include Nepal Health Workers Union, Nepal Health Professionals Association, Nepal Health Technicians Association and All Nepal Progressive Health Workers Association, among others.
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