Sabarkantha, Mar 25 (PTI) More than 400 healthcare workers of district primary and community centres in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha faced termination from service on Tuesday for not returning to job and continuing their indefinite strike in Gandhinagar in support of their demands, an official said.
“Notices were issued to healthcare employees of sub-centres and PHCs (primary health centres) after which 116 returned to their job. But others remained absent, after which as many as 406 have been terminated, and 55 supervisor cadre employees issued a chargesheet and a probe initiated against them,” Chief District Health Officer (CDHO), Sabarkantha, Dr Raj Sutariya said.
Striking employees, including medical staff and supervisors under the Panchayat administration, have been demanding their inclusion in technical cadres, grade-pay revisions, and cancellation of departmental examinations.
Sutaria said community health officers and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers have been deployed to ensure work at rural levels are not affected due to the indefinite strike.
Healthcare workers at district PHCs and CHCs (Community Health Centres) have been protesting in Gandhinagar since March 12 in support of their demands.
They had gathered in protest against the government in the state capital in September 2022 ahead of the assembly elections that year. At that time, the BJP government had held closed-door discussions with them to pacify them.
However, as their key demands remained unresolved even after more than two years, the healthcare workers revived their agitation and gathered at a ground in Gandhinagar as part of their indefinite strike.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress extended its support to the striking healthcare employees and requested the government to fulfil their demands.
Congress Legislative Party leader Amit Chavda reminded the government that healthcare workers strove hard to save the lives of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For a long time, these employees have been continuously presenting their financial and administrative demands to the state government. The government has also negotiated with them many times, but it does not want to implement recommendations made by a committee formed by it,” he said.
Comparing state government policies with those followed by British colonialists, Chavda said the BJP administration was not ready to negotiate with the protesters and also not allowing them to agitate.
Instead, the government is invoking laws and regulations and suspending or terminating healthcare workers from their jobs, the Congress MLA maintained. PTI KA RSY
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