Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 16: Patients in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu and associated hospitals, particularly Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), Jammu continued to suffer on second day of indefinite strike by workers of Mechanical Division of GMCH.
According to the sources, the Mechanical Division of GMCH is taking services of about 102 need based workers for running AC plants, Gas plants, lifts, sewerage plants, besides electricity and water supply. Out of these 102 workers, 62 alone are working in SSH Jammu and about 30 are engaged in GMC Jammu.
Yesterday, all these 102 workers went on indefinite strike demanding payment of their pending wages of last 25-30 months, regularization of their services and creation of a new Head of Mechanical employees so that they can timely get salary.
Since all the essential services in Super Speciality Hospital are being looked by need based workers, who are 62 in strength, all these remained affected. The lifts and AC plants remained non-functional and water as well as electricity supply was also badly affected. However, somehow gas plant was made functional taking services of three regular electric employees.
Meanwhile, according to the sources, the water pump house of SSH Jammu was destroyed last night by some miscreants by breaking water pipes and logging of water in the pump house thereby destroying all motors.
In the absence of water supply, even a single dialysis could not be done in Nephrology department of SSH in last two days where 15-20 dialysis are done on daily basis in the department. According to Dr SK Bali, Head of Nephrology department, due to shortage of water no dialysis could be done on 2nd day also, forcing them to ask the patients to go to private clinics for dialysis.
Due to non-supply of water and electricity and shut down of AC plants, patients and their attendants and even doctors and staff of SSH faced multiple problems. Attendants and patients were seen waving hand-made fans to get some relief from scorching heat, and bringing packaged water bottles from market to quench their thirst. Even taps of washroom were found dried due to which patients, their attendants and staff of hospital had to face multiple problems.
According to sources in the hospital, Operation Theatres remained shut and no surgery could be done in last two days in any department due to non-supply of water and electricity.
However, no such situation was seen in GMCH, SMGS Hospital and CD Hospital, as there are many regular employees of electrical and other departments to see the works suspended by need based employees of Mechanical Division.
When contacted, Principal, GMCH Jammu, Dr Zahid Gillani, said that he has constituted a 6-member committee headed by Babila Rakwal, Administrator, Associated Hospitals, Jammu, to enquire into the matter of sudden failure of water pump house in SSH Jammu due to breakage of pipes and logging of water.
Dr Gillani said that the committee will submit its report within three days after assessing the creation of Mechanical Division and its staff distribution, loss of property in water pump house, number of need based workers engaged by Ex-Engineer, MH&CH Division, in SSH including other hospitals, wages distributed to need based workers and funds received from the office of Chief Engineer for running the Division, besides the funds provided by the institution.
When contacted, Executive Engineer, Mechanical Division, GMCH Jammu, Ashok Singh, admitted that the water and electrical supply remained affected, lifts remained non-functional and AC plants could not be run due to shortage of manpower in SSH Jammu, as all the 62 Need Based Workers engaged by the Division for SSH, went on indefinite strike yesterday. “However, our AEEs and JEs are on the job and trying their best to ensure at least water and electricity in the hospital”, he added.
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