While continuing the agitation against the State Government, the pharmacists boycotted the work for three hours in the Government run hospitals and health centres in support of their pending demands.
After threatening that they would intensify their agitation in support of their pending demands, the Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacists Association office bearers cornered the State Government for notfulfilling their year long pending demands despite memorandum was submitted many times to officials.
However, the association office bearers claimed that the delegation of the association will meet State health minister Surendra Singh Negi on Thursday with an aim to apprise him about their grievances.
Among all those patients who visited Government district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, first referral units, health centres across the State on Wednesday were among the major as waited for nearly three hours at medicine distribution window of hospital due to the ongoing strike called on by the agitated pharmacists in the State.
After raising the anti department slogans, the agitated pharmacists threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands are not met by the State Government. It is also noteworthy that the agitated pharmacists have not included the emergency medical services but also threatened to include, if their demands are not met by the State Government in the given time frame.
The distribution of life saving drugs, syrups, ointments and other medical products was not done in the Government hospitals for three hours and later, long line of patients and their relatives were framed at the medicine distribution centre.
According to association office bearers, the pharmacists have been catering the medical need of those villagers who are living in the remote areas of the State as the medical officers are not coming forward to provide medical care to patients in the higher parts of Uttarakhand.
After expressing his concern over the callous approach of the State Government for not fulfilling the year long pending demands of association, BS Kalura, State president, Uttarakhand Diploma Pharmacist Association said that pay anomaly, risk allowances, appointment of pharmacists, issue of seniority list, service rule, timely promotion etc are among the few pending of association.
“Memorandum highlighting our demands was given several times to top bureaucrats but the State Government is yet to issue order to fulfill the year long pending of association,” he said, adding that the members are in the mood of decisive show time and will withdraw their agitation, once their year long pending demands would be fulfilled by the State Government.