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Civil hospital medical staff goes on strike to protest sacking of 22 surplus lab technicians in Amritsar
Health services, Covid-related duties suspended as around 300 doctors, nurses, para-medical staff, lab technicians stage a protest
Medical staff at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital, Amritsar, went on an indefinite strike on Saturday to protest against the state government’s move of sacking 22 surplus lab technicians.
Patients were left in a lurch as health services, including the outpatient department (OPD), emergency department and Covid-19 related services, were affected as around 300 doctors, nurses, para-medical staff and lab technicians, staged a protest at the hospital and raised slogans against the government and health department.
Punjab health and family welfare department additional chief secretary Anurag Agarwal on Friday issued a notice to the civil surgeon and said that there were around 27 lab technicians working at the district hospital against the sanctioned five posts.
“I had requested the hospital to rationalise and send the surplus lab technicians to their respective postings on multiple occasions but they continued to work at the Amritsar civil hospital. Almost all surplus lab technicians were influential and had got the posts unfairly,” he said.
Employees’ Welfare Association chairperson Rakesh Sharma said, “All the lab technicians were working as frontline warriors during the Covid-19 outbreak as assigned by the civil surgeon and the health department. The government, which had hired them and was using their services in the management of the hospital, has now sacked them illegally. Instead of sacking them, the government should have posted them at other hospitals or health care centres.”
‘ROLL BACK TERMINATION ORDERS’
Association president Deepak Devgan said, “The hospital, which runs 24x7 and has a high footfall, cannot function smoothly with just five lab technicians. Also, the lab technicians had been told to collect swab samples from suspected Covid-19 patients and they performed their duties well. The government must roll back its termination orders.”
The protesters said Covid-related duties and emergency duties will re-start from Saturday evening but OPD and other services will remain suspended till their demands were met.
“A written request asking the authorities to roll back the orders has been submitted to the civil surgeon and he has assured us that he will take up the matter with ministers”, they added.
