Plight of long-time volunteers at Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital
They are outside payroll although Covid-19 adds to their risk
As many as 36 men and women, working as voluntary staff at Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital for years, are passing days amid hardship as the authorities are yet to put them on the regular payroll.
After serving without any payment for long, some of them for over a decade, they
started getting meagre amounts, monthly Tk 1000 to Tk 1500 each, from the development fund of the government-run hospital three months ago.
Defying the added risk and responsibility during the Covid-19 pandemic, the volunteers have continued daily service at the hospital.
They have to pass quite a busy time working at different sections of the hospital including emergency department, operation theatre, surgery ward, paediatric ward and doctor's chambers to help the patients, distribute medicines and manage the crowd.
"We are living subhuman life but we work here with a smiling face as our service can help the patients to recover. We have to work more during the ongoing Coronavirus disaster," said Sheikh Saadi, a voluntary worker of the hospital.
"We have already crossed the maximum age for entering government service. We are holding on to the work with the hope that the government will be kind enough to regularise our job with satisfactory payment," he added.
"Ignoring family's objection, I am doing duty amid the risk of Coronavirus. After completing our work at the hospital, many of us work in different clinics and health centres for earning," said Swapon Kumar Mohanta, another voluntary worker at the hospital.
"We still dream that one day our job will be nationalised," he said.
Rashida Begum, who has been rendering voluntary service at the hospital for more than a decade, also echoed the same.
Dr Sirajul Islam, superintendent of Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital, said the higher authorities have been informed about the condition of the voluntary workers of the hospital.
"It's time to do something better for the long-time voluntary service providers at the hospital, especially in view of their dedication during the Covid-19 pandemic. I will write to the higher authorities concerned for taking positive steps about their job," Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Nirmalendu Roy told The Daily Star.