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Chandigarh: Chaos rules at PGI OPDs amid confusion over contractual workers’ strike
PGI did not open its OPDs at the scheduled time of 8 am on Friday in anticipation of a strike by its contractual workers
Chaos was the order of the day at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Friday, as the hospital did not open its OPDs at the scheduled time of 8 am in anticipation of a strike by its contractual staff.
While the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday had barred the Contract Workers’ Union from proceeding with the strike on Friday following a plea by the institute itself, the authorities were on the fence whether the staff will turn up for work.
Expecting its over 3,000 contractual employees to proceed with their strike call as planned, PGIMER decided to keep its OPDs shut.
But the contractual staff, that includes sanitary workers, hospital attendants, medical record clerks and lower-division clerks, called off the strike on Friday morning after getting the court orders the night before.
While several patients were turned away at 8 am, their crowd continued to swell till 10 am, following which the hospital opened registrations, much to the respite of patients waiting in the heat. While normally OPD registrations remain open from 8 am to 10 am, on Friday, the timings were extended till 12.30 pm.
“PGI Contract Workers’ Union received a copy of the high court orders around 8 pm on Thursday and decided to call off the strike. All members of the union gathered at PGIMER at 9 am on Friday and were asked to join duties. We had also informed the hospital director about our decision,” said Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman of the union that has been pressing for wages on par with regular employees, as per a high court order.
“It is surprising that the institute is not implementing the court’s order to increase our salaries,” he added.
Dr Ashok Kumar, official spokesperson, PGIMER, said, “Normal functioning of the institute resumed as the outsourced workers reported for duty. The registration timings were increased till 12.30 pm from the routine 10 am to facilitate the patients.”
A total of 1,763 patients were physically examined on Friday, compared to 8,531 on Thursday. In addition, 83 surgeries, including 57 elective and 26 emergency, were performed till 4 pm and further surgeries continued as per schedule.
