The indefinite strike of CGHS employees continued for the third consecutive day

The ongoing strike of the All India Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Employees' Association has put patients' lives in peril.

The indefinite strike across the country was launched on Monday.

Almost 400 patients turn up daily at the CGHS building located at Mukundnagar but they are being sent back.

All the seven dispensaries in the city remained closed for the third consecutive day. The CGHS pharmacists too have joined hands.

AB Patil, a CGHS pharmacist at Mukundnagar, said, "We are not going to give medicines till our demands are met."

"We have decided not to open the medicine shops and dispensaries. We refer patients to other hospitals and clinics but we are not providing the medicines and other facilities here," said Patil.

The place, which is under renovation, makes patients more sick when they go for a check-up or a follow-up. All-India CGHS Employees Association general secretary Francis Ellis said, "We are helpless. The government should understand that the work at CGHS should start soon but they too are taking their own time."

He said over 2.5 lakh health employees across the country are on an indefinite strike since February 23 protesting against the adamant attitude of the government over the demands.

Ram Krishen, convener of the All India Health Employees and Workers Confederation, from Delhi said that the reasons behind the strike are demand for a patient care allowance (PCA), which should be continued with the nursing allowance and should be made part of the basic pay package.

He said a constitution of a paramedical services council of India and the privatisation and outsourcing work in any form or at any level should be stopped in the health sector. "All the posts and works should be replaced by regular staff, wherever work has been given on contract," he said.

In Pune, health employees of CGHS and Ordinance factory have joined hands in the strike making the Pune number swell up to 140 while the Delhi number has gone up to 75,000, said Ellis.

He said all the seven CGHS dispensaries at Lullanagar, Phulenagar, Cantonment, Mangalwar Peth, Boys Battalion, Range Hills and the dispensary Polyclinic and the administrative office are lying idle and employees have stopped reporting to work. "This will continue till our demands are fulfilled," he said.

He added, "In fact, we have heard that government is planning to stop CGHS, which we will never allow them. They say CGHS is not serving the purpose and is not necessary." Whereas, L R Jadhav, president of the association, said that the health employees who have gone on indefinite strike include all the nursing staff, paramedics, chemists, and pharmacists etc who are members of CGHS.

DNA Correspondent/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication