‘Contractual Staff Strike’: J&K Hospitals Asked Not To Refer Patients To PGI

Srinagar- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh (PGIMER) on Friday suspended all elective surgeries and new elective admissions amid the ongoing strike called by the near-3,500 contractual workers at, including over 1,600 hospital attendants, demanding the release of long-pending arrears.

Patients scheduled for procedures were informed of postponements and hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were asked not to refer patients to PGIMER during the strike.

The Hospital Attendants’ Union had announced the decision to go on strike on Thursday. They were joined by the All Contract Workers Union, marking the sixth such strike in less than two years and third in 15 days under PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal.

The hospital administration’s failure to pay the arrears, approved by the Contract Advisory Labour Board, the protesting workers said had forced them to call the strike.

The unions’ core demand is the release of unpaid arrears for hospital attendants, from the ₹46-crore budget approved by the Union ministry of health and family welfare in April. The budget had been earmarked to settle arrears for other contractual staff, including sanitary attendants, kitchen workers, and security guards. While the workers were paid through January 2024, hospital attendants were notably excluded from the payout, causing frustration and leading to the strike.

Union leaders had a few weeks ago warned the administration of potential action if the arrears were not settled by October 10.

Notably, PGI Chandigarh has remained a preferred destination for many patients from Kashmir.

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