Deep resentment has flared up among 32,000 contractual health employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Madhya Pradesh, pushing the state’s public healthcare system toward a major crisis. The Contractual Health Employees Union MP, which holds affiliation with the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS), has formally launched a massive, multi-stage phased agitation across all districts of the state. The union’s executive committee took this decisive action to protest the state government’s persistent failure to honour commitments and demands that were agreed upon over a year ago in the direct presence of the Chief Minister. Workers expressed deep anger that despite their dedication earning the state multiple national-level accolades and awards for healthcare delivery, their basic interests continue to be systematically ignored. The union’s complaints are underscored by an 8-point charter of core demands aimed at rectifying long-standing administrative discrepancies. Chief among these is the immediate implementation of regularisation benefits, which the health workers state was explicitly promised by the Chief Minister during a public felicitation program held at Dussehra Maidan, TT. Nagar on January 30, 2026. Additionally, the employees are demanding the extension of National Pension System (NPS) and health insurance benefits under the General Administration Department’s 2023 policy framework. Their financial demands include a 10% annual salary increment in line with other progressive states, alongside a regular dearness allowance matching permanent staff.

 

For Community Health Officers (CHOs), the union insists on integrating Performance Based Incentives (PBI) directly into their salaries and reverting to the original indicator system. They have also called for a complete re-evaluation of the faulty salary equivalence structure determined, the allocation of regular leave benefits, and the immediate suspension of the ‘Sarthak App’ until the policy of equal pay and equal facilities for equal work is fully realised. The ongoing phased protest timeline is strictly structured to escalate if the State fails to resolve these grievances within a 20-day window. The agitation initiated from May 25 to May 27, with employees across all districts wearing black bands as a silent mark of protest, followed by the submission of formal memorandums to all district Collectors, CMHOs, and BMOs on May 28 and May 29. From May 30 to June 1, delegations intensified their push by meeting with public representatives, including MPs, MLAs, and Cabinet Ministers, to apprise them. Turning to direct non-co-operation, workers have now initiated a total boycott of all online and offline departmental tasks, effectively transitioning into an indefinite strike. The ultimate escalation is scheduled for June 8, when thousands of contractual staff from every district will converge to surround and siege the CMs residence (CM House Gherao). Union leaders have clearly warned that the State Government and local administration will bear full and sole responsibility for any resultant breakdown or public inconvenience caused to health facilities across State.