PGI contractual staff call off stir, normal services restored

After a week-long protest, contractual workers of the PGI today called off their strike, following the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders.

Sanitation attendants were first to return to work in the morning. Soon, bearers and cooks of the dietetics branch put on their uniforms to prepare food for patients of various departments.

Rajesh Chauhan, president, Hospital Attendants Association; and Vikramjit Singh, president, All Contract Workers Union; held a meeting with the Medical Superintendent and Head, Department of Hospital Administration, Prof Vipin Koushal, to put forth their demands. These include the release of pending arrears by the month-end and the withdrawal of the “no pay, no work” clause, which was implemented in the wake of the strike.

The administration refused to give anything in writing. It said all pending arrears and bonus were to be calculated and given upon the approval and transfer of about Rs 30 crore by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The union leaders held a long meeting with workers and finally returned to work.

Their arrears have been due since October, 2018.

Hospital attendants also returned to their duties in the afternoon. However, the workers maintained if they were not paid arrears by the month-end, then they would resume the protest after November 4, the date of hearing on the matter in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Vikramjit Singh said: “If the hospital attendants do not receive their pending arrears and bonuses by October 30, we will again protest after the hearing of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 4.”

A total of 240 sanitation attendants, 156 hospital attendants and 53 bearers reported on duty.

Professor Koushal said: “Despite the challenges posed by the strike, we managed to examine a total of 32,555 patients in the OPDs, while the Emergency and Trauma OPDs saw 2,023 cases. Also, 1,485 patients were admitted for indoor care, with 1,892 discharged during this period. As many as 409 surgeries were conducted and 699 day care chemotherapy sessions were completed.”

OPD registrations from 8 am to 11 am

The PGI is set to resume full services, including OPD registrations from 8 am to 11 am for both new and follow-up cases, elective services and admissions from October 18. Emergency, trauma and ICU services will function as usual.