Hundreds of health workers of Global Covid Hospital in Thane, including doctors, ward boys, nurses, all hired on contractual basis, staged a protest after their services were terminated. Local BJP leaders also supported the employees and warned the authorities of a protest if their demands were not met.
This is the second time when Global Covid Hospital has terminated around 500 medical staff from their services overnight. These are all employees who work through a private agency, Om Sai Arogya Care. The employees who worked day and night during the pandemic claim that they were handed their termination letters on Tuesday evening, when most of them were about to go home.
Urmila Pawar, 24, a nurse working with the hospital for the last six months, protested along with other medical staff of the hospital saying, “Two months ago as well, many employees were terminated. But after intervention from senior officials of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), we were reinstated. This time we were asked to leave. They said our need has ended now. We as staff risked our lives during the pandemic, when no one was ready to work. Now, they don’t even bother to think about us.” Pawar added that even after the protest on Wednesday, there was no sign of hope. “We are still confused as to whether we have to get back to work on Thursday or not. This was just a use-and-throw tactic adopted by the contractor who frequently used to delay our monthly salaries,” added Pawar.
When questioned over the issue, additional municipal commissioner Sandeep Malvi of the TMC said, “We are yet to take a call on it.”
Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including Pravin Darekar and MLC Niranjan Davkhare, intervened. “We are in support of the employees working at Global Hospital. We met them and even had a meeting with the contractor. We warned the authorities and the contractor that if the employees are not reinstated within two days we will go for a protest from Saturday,” said Davkhare.
