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Aarogya Mitras in Maharashtra call off indefinite strike
The Arogya Mitra employee’s union, affiliated with the centre of trade union includes over 1,600 Arogya Mitras, 108 in the Pune district
The Aarogya Mitras working under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana (MJPJAY) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) on Saturday called off the indefinite strike following an assurance from the state government and health minister to meet their demands.
Thousands of Arogya Mitras had gone on an indefinite strike since Tuesday, February 18. The field staff supporting patients to avail treatment under these schemes had demanded fair wages, annual salary increments, and proper leave policies amongst others.
The Arogya Mitra employee’s union, affiliated with the centre of trade union includes over 1,600 Arogya Mitras, 108 in the Pune district. The MJPJAY and PMJAY scheme is currently available at 1,695 hospitals (private and public) in the state and 109 hospitals in Pune district.
On February 20, 2025, a delegation led by union president Dr D L Karad met Maharashtra’s health minister Prakash Abitkar to discuss the concerns of Arogya Mitras. On Saturday another round of discussions was held with the minister, who assured that a meeting with relevant authorities would be convened during the state assembly session to resolve the matter.
Furthermore, the leader of the opposition Ambadas Danve also discussed the issue with the concerned officials and assured his support in ensuring justice for Arogya Mitras. In light of these discussions, the health minister, the opposition leader, and the chief executive officer of the state health guarantee society urged the union to call off the strike to prevent inconvenience to the public, they said in a statement released on Saturday.
Kirankumar Dhamdhere, general secretary of the Union, said, “Following their appeal, the Arogya Mitra Employees’ Union has decided to suspend the strike from Saturday. All Arogya Mitras across the state will resume duty as usual and continue to serve efficiently. We hope that the remaining issues will be resolved through further discussions,” he said.
