Dengue domestic breeding checkers demand permanent appointment

CHENNAI: The dengue domestic breeding checkers play a significant role in the prevention and control measures of dengue across the State by ensuring a check on water stagnation and mosquito breeding the residential and commercial spaces.

However, these health workers allege that they are appointed temporarily and are paid low wages. They request the government to pay a minimum salary of Rs 21,000 and permanent appointment.

The Doctors Association for Social Equality addressed the media along with the health workers on Sunday. The health activists in the State advocate better treatment of the domestic breeding checkers and stated that they should be treated as other frontline workers.

"More than 38,000 workers are working in Tamil Nadu and they are doing commendable work in controlling the spread of dengue spreading mosquito Aedes but they are being paid very low. They are appointed on the basis of daily wages and are also fired from time to time. There is no job security for these people and they should be given much better opportunities, " said Dr G R Ravindranath, secretary of the Doctor's Association for Social Equality.

The domestic breeding checkers are assigned to check all the households at least once in a week for any breeding sources of Aedes mosquitos and complete the source reduction activities. They also check for indoor breeding sources such as refrigerators, tanks, flower pots, coconut shells, old unused vehicles for the presence of Aedes larvae and are responsible for their elimination.

The domestic breeding checkers also undertake fighting activities twice a day in the localities they supervise.

However, despite the regular work, they are being appointed as daily wage workers and they demand being appointed on monthly wage basis ranging about Rs 21,000.

"The domestic breeding checkers and breeding eradication workers working at various levels like municipality, corporation, and panchayat undertake the same work and we should be provided equal pay for equal work. We also demand that we should be appointed on a permanent basis, " said president of the domestic breeding checkers and mosquito eradication workers association K Jayavelu.

He added that despite repeated demands, the government hasn't fulfilled our requirements and we urge the state government to look at the concerns of the workers.