NHM employees in Kerala have not received pay or perks since January due to a branding stalemate

Employees of the National Health Mission (NHM) have not received pay raises or wages since January, even though the state government has completed more than 90% of the branding requirements set down by the Union government. Approximately 13,000 medical practitioners have been impacted by this across many NHM programs. The problem is a shortage of finance since the state administration has not yet received the Rs 826 crore allotted by the federal government.

Prior orders from the federal government required all healthcare facilities in the state, including family, community, and primary health centers, to be branded. It requested last year that health centers adopt a metallic yellow color scheme and use the new name Ayushman Arogya Mandirs; the state has objected to this.

Hari S, PRO with the District Planning Mission, emphasized the impasse by stating, “The Union government instructed the state to adopt the logo and pink color scheme of health centers as part of its branding strategy.” Almost 94% of the exercise has been completed by the state. Information about this was authorized by the Union administration and posted on the site.

Afterwards, the Center aimed to rename all of the medical facilities as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. It also instructed a switch to metallic yellow for the color scheme. The current impasse is the outcome of Kerala adhering to the co-branding idea.

Health workers have expressed their displeasure with the state of affairs, pointing to delayed pay raises and wages. I haven’t received my pay since the start of the year. From the time I joined NHM in 2012, my salary has stayed at Rs 18,540. We have not received the adjustment, despite being informed six months ago that it would be Rs 20,840. Furthermore, they have not been paid important allowances like the Rs 1,000 travel stipend for rural duties, according to a mid-level service provider at the family health center in Eravipuram, Kollam.

In August of last year, the state set aside around Rs 213 crore to cover the budget shortfall caused by the delay in the Union government’s contribution.

The temporary solution, however, ended in December. Since then, the state government has contacted the Center to request that the outstanding payments be released right away.

“We have communicated our concerns to the Union government, urging prompt action,” said Bindu, director of NHM (financial). The suggested alterations to the name and color scheme have already been met with opposition from the state administration. The Union government must now take strong action.