Indore: The sampling of Covid-19 patients, distribution of medicines, and work on home isolation was affected consecutively for the second day, on Wednesday, due to the strike of employees on temporary contract with the health department.
The employees also staged demonstrations outside the Chief Medical and Health Officer’s office and they also begged from passersby as a protest against the government.
Over 800 employees, including AYUSH doctors, paramedical staff, lab technicians, and others joined the strike to press their demands including in Indore.
The strike also affected the facilities at Maa Ahilya COVID Care Centre and administration had to send the employees of Indore Municipal Corporation to handle the situation there as a large number of patients, in home isolation, was shifted there on Wednesday.
Divisional Vice President of COVID-19 AYUSH Chikitsak Sangh Dr Dinesh Sadhwani, “We are working in COVID duties for the last one year but apart from making promises government didn’t do anything to facilitate us in getting increased payment of Rs 10,000, no insurance, and no respectable payment.”
He said that the doctors have been demanding equal pay for a long time but their demands are falling in deaf ears due to which they are forced to strike work.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr BS Saitya asked the temporary contractual employees to return to work or be ready to face the music.
Contractual employees under NHM also threatened to go on strike
Contractual employees posted under the National Health Mission also threatened to go on strike from May 27 to press their demands including about 90 percent payment equal to the permanent employees.
NHM Director Chhavi Bhardwaj in her letter mentioned that the government is working on their demands and appealed to them to not go on strike in sake of patients fighting from COVID-19.
