BHUBANESWAR: Services at OPD and major wards of Capital Hospital were hit as sanitation and security staff went on a strike to protest alleged assault by a patient’s relatives on the hospital premises and delay in payment of wages.
Over 200 sanitation and security staff staged the dharna in front of the administrative block of the hospital paralysing sanitation services in the campus and partially affecting services at different wards including OPD and paediatric ward.
The agitating workers reportedly blocked the entry to the ultrasound unit of the hospital till 9.30 am resulting in a long queue of patients outside. “It even led to a heated argument among the patients as they rushed towards the unit after it was opened by the hospital staff,” alleged the husband of a woman patient.
Waste including stale food was also found strewn at random places in front of the paediatric ward. The protest even led to patient management crisis outside the OPD.
One of the agitators alleged that on Friday a security staff was beaten by a woman and her three relatives after he objected to use of swing at the paediatric ward by a person. Another lady security staff alleged she was bitten by a person outside the OPD as she prevented him from forcefully entering it.
This apart, the sanitation and the security staff alleged they are working with a monthly remuneration of just around `10,000 without any other facility and the salary is also not being paid on time. “We requested them to pay our salaries a bit early in view of Pana Sankranti. However, our outsourcing agency didn’t pay any heed to it. The hospital authorities also ignored out plight when we requested them to intervene,” alleged a woman sanitation worker.
The sanitation and security staff also alleged the new private agency engaged for security and sanitation services was not releasing their salaries on time.
Capital Hospital director Dr Laxmidhar Sahoo, however, said that the agitating staff withdrew their stir following intervention of police and hospital authorities. The service provider has been asked to look into the issues of the outsourced staff.