Harpal Cheema Directs Fast-Track Resolution of Health Department Employees’ Demands, Holds Talks With 11 Unions

Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday held a series of meetings with representatives of 11 employee unions under the Health and Family Welfare Department, directing officials to expedite the resolution of their pending demands and improve the working conditions of the state’s healthcare workforce.

During the discussions, Cheema directed the Health and Family Welfare Department and the Rural Development and Panchayats Department to ensure that ASHA workers and facilitators are provided suitable spaces, including Panchayat Ghars and other appropriate Panchayat buildings, to conduct vaccination drives on alternate days.

Addressing the concerns raised by ASHA workers and facilitators, the Finance Minister instructed the Health Department to promptly prepare and submit a proposal to the Cabinet Sub-Committee regarding casual leave provisions and other legitimate demands.

He assured the employee representatives that their remaining key demands were under active consideration by the state government and that a favourable decision would be announced soon.

Recognising that employee concerns largely relate to salary revisions, pay parity, leave policies and transparent transfer procedures, Cheema directed the Health Department to place all justified demands before the Inter-Departmental Committee for consideration.

To ensure timely decisions and prevent administrative delays, he instructed the committee to hold meetings every week and take up the employees’ issues on priority.

Representatives of the various unions submitted detailed memorandums outlining their demands and the challenges faced by employees across different sections of the healthcare system.

The meetings included representatives of the All India ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union, ASHA Workers and Facilitator Union Punjab (CITU), and ASHA Workers and Facilitator Narol Union.

Issues concerning pay parity, regularisation and service conditions were also raised by representatives of the N.H.M. Employees Union, Community Health Officers Association, Pharmacy Officers’ Association, Rural Health Pharmacy Officer Union and Sehat Pharmacy Officer Association.

The discussions further covered the operational and service-related concerns of the Government Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Employee Union, Punjab AIDS Control Employees Association (Health Department) and PCMS Dental Association.

Among those who participated were Durgo Bai, Balvir Kaur, Rajinder Kaur and Swaran Kaur from the All India ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union; Saroj Bala, Seema Rani, Joginder Kaur and Parminder Kaur from the ASHA Workers and Facilitator Union Punjab (CITU); and Kirandwep Kaur, Pawanpreet Kaur and Mandeep Kaur from the ASHA Workers and Facilitator Narol Union.

The N.H.M. Employees Union was represented by Sandeep Kaur, Amandeep Singh, Dinesh Garg and Sukhjeet Singh. Dr Sunil Targotra, Dr Daljeet Kumar and Dr Raj represented the Community Health Officers Association, while Shubam Sharma and Deep Kamboz attended on behalf of the Pharmacy Officers’ Association.

Gurmeet Singh, Navjot Kaur and Rajinder Kumar represented the Rural Health Pharmacy Officer Union. Ram Singh, Navdeep Kumar, Sarabjeet and Raj Kumar represented the Sehat Pharmacy Officer Association.

Parminder Singh, Navdeep Singh and Tarsem Sharma attended from the Government Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Employee Union, while Jasmail Singh, Gurjant Singh, Mahinder Pal Singh and Ashu Garg represented the Punjab AIDS Control Employees Association (Health Department).

The PCMS Dental Association was represented by Dr Ashutosh Sharma, Dr Dharminder Singh, Dr Harpreet Kaur and Dr Vikrant Sharma.

The meetings formed part of the state government’s efforts to engage with healthcare employees, address their service-related concerns and strengthen the functioning of Punjab’s public healthcare system.