Health services crippled as employees go on three-day strike

Health employees staging dharna in front of deserted OPD Registration Counter of Government Hospital, Sarwal in Jammu. —Excelsior/Rakesh
Health employees staging dharna in front of deserted OPD Registration Counter of Government Hospital, Sarwal in Jammu. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 8: Health services were crippled today in Jammu province as employees went on 3-day pen/tool down strike in support of Female Multipurpose Health Workers (FMPHWs) who are struggling for getting their pending salaries and permanent solution of salary issue.
Today, on 25th day of protest dharnas of FMPHWs, all Health employees of various cadre including Ministerial Staff, X-Ray Technicians, Pharmacists, Dental Technicians, Ophthalmic Technicians, Basic Health Workers, Lab Technicians, OT Technicians, Drivers and Cleaners (SHTO), Class-IV employees and NHM employees joined hands and on the call of JKMEF, observed complete strike in all health institutions across Jammu province.
Health employees of various cadres assembled here today at Shashi Bala Memorial Park in support of protesting FMPHWs and raised slogans against the State Government for ignoring the just and genuine demands of the FMPHWs.

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A complete shutdown was observed in Jammu Division except emergency services. All revenue generating counters remained closed, even the OPD Slips are not issued. Health Services at Government Hospitals at Gandhi Nagar and Sarwal, LRPU Gangyal and other major/minor health institutions in the Division remained paralyzed. Complete strike was observed thought the Division and the same will continued till 10th of this month.
Out Patient Departments (OPDs) remained shut in most of the hospitals as counters of OPD registration slips remained closed while employees stage dharna in the premises of their respective health institutions.
The diagnostic services like ultrasound and X-ray also remain paralyzed. Planned surgeries were cancelled and most of the patients continued to be turned away from the hospitals. However, emergency services were running smoothly in all the hospitals.
Those who addressed the protesting employees at Madam Shashi Bala Memorial Park in Jammu include Sushil Sudan (president JKMEF), Vinod Sharma (secretary general, JKMEF), Neelam Kumari (secretary general, FMPHWs’ Welfare Association), Jarnail Choudhary, Parfullat Singh, Rohit Seth, Harpal Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Mohd Saleem and others.