The strike by contractual Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl) workers of the associated hospital of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) is causing problems to the patients visiting the biggest hospital of the State.
The strike adversely affected works like registration, billing and distribution of medicines in the hospital. The work in pathology and radiology department too was hindered triggering discomfort for the patients and their relatives.
On Tuesday, the registration counters of the hospital were open as the administration had deployed permanent staff on these counters but the computerised slips were not generated. After large scale chaos in the pathology labs the pathologists refused to take sample of the patients after 11.30 am.
In the radiology department, the technicians did a dual job of taking scans and providing temporary cash receipts of the fee to the patients. The in-charge of MRI wing, Mahendra Bhandari said that MRI section is functioning in a routine manner though all contractual staff is on strike.
The patients and their relatives are the one who are suffering the most by this strike. “After much wait at registration counter and outside the chamber of Doctor, I got to know that the blood samples are not being taken. Now I am forced to get these tests done from a private lab,’’ said Mahesh Pharswan a resident of Rani Pohkri.
Earlier in the day, the contractual workers under the banner of Government Doon Medical College Hospital contractual workers action committee assembled in front of the administrative block of the hospital and engaged in slogan shouting.
The main demand of these workers is that the State Government should transfer their services from UPNl to the medical education department. There are 173 contractual workers in the hospital.
Prior to the merger of the Doon hospital in medical college these workers were deployed by the Hospital Management Committee (HMC) of Doon hospital and Doon women hospital. However after the merger of these hospitals with GDMC, their services were transferred to UPNl.
These workers have now threatened to stop IPD and emergency services from Thursday if their demands are not accepted.