State-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital is back in news again. Health services at the hospital were hampered as about 250 paramedical students went on indefinite strike from Thursday. Most affected was the labour room where the doctors are facing hard time to meet the situation.
The striking para-medics also staged a dharna in front of the emergency ward of the hospital. later in the afternoon, a delegation of the students met the hospital Superintendent and handed him over a memorandum.
RY Chowdhury, Superintendent of the MGM Medical College and Hospital, admitted that the medical services to have immensely affected after the strike by the paramedical students.
“The work of nursing was being handled by the paramedical students, but in their absence, the medical services have hit adversely. We are trying to engage some private hands to meet the situation. However, we have assured the students that their demands would be met,” said Chowdhury
The paramedical students went on strike on Thursday after they received a cold response by the State Health Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh at the local circuit house on Wednesday evening.
The paramedical students met the Minister and demanded, among other things, payment of stipend, hostel facility and an assurance of service after completion of the course. But after hearing a delegation of the disgruntled paramedics, the Health Minister refused to accept any demand.
“The strike has been called in protest against lackadaisical attitude of the Government towards our demands. The indefinite strike will be any eye opener for the Government and push it into working mode as far as conceding the charter of demands is concerned,” said an agitator.