Paid Covid volunteers protest, seek govt jobs

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 19

Paid volunteers hired by the Health Department to work at the Covid care centres today held a protest at Fountain Chowk and demanded government jobs.

The Health Department had roped in paid healthcare workers to provide services at various hospitals in the state during the pandemic. The hired staff nurses, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory technicians, ANMs were paid Rs1,000 per day and ward attendants Rs750 per day for their services from June to September.

Holding a protest at the chowk, they demanded jobs in various hospitals as per vacancies. “We have been out of jobs and want the state government to adjust us in vacancies in the hospitals,” they said.

Sonu Rajput, one of the ward-attendants, said, “We should be given jobs in the government sector. We were hired through proper interviews and screening. Some of our payments have also not been released.”

Rajwinder Singh, another ward boy, said, “We have raised our demands of government jobs and release of pending payments with the government officials, including the SDM and tehsildar who came to our protest site.”