BHUBANESWAR: Uncollected garbage left the Capital Hospital stinking on Tuesday as hundreds of sanitation workers staged dharna over various demands including pay hike and Dussehra bonus.
The trash-filled bins in all the wards of the hospital caused serious inconvenience to patients and their attendants after sanitation workers resorted to cease-work protest from Monday evening.
Attendants of a few patients alleged that the uncollected left-over food items and biomedical waste led to an unhygienic condition on the hospital premises.
However, the agitating sanitation workers remained unfazed and sat outside the hospital director’s office shouting slogans. They warned of intensifying the protest if their demands are not met soon.
A female sanitation worker alleged that there is discrepancy in payment of wages to them. “The agency which has engaged us is paying wages for 26 days only. There is no payment for the four weekly-offs which is totally unacceptable,” she claimed.
A male worker said at the time of engagement, the agency had assured to pay bonus on Dussehra. However, it has gone back on its promise. The agitators further alleged that they are not able to meet the agency’s owner and air their grievances. They also claimed that the hospital authorities have turned a blind eye to their plight.
Hospital director Dr Dilip Kumar Panda said he has apprised senior officials of the Health department and labour commission about the matter. “Quess Corporation, which was awarded the contract to clean the hospital premises, has been asked to look into the demands of the agitating workers and resolve the matter at the earliest to ensure that the sanitation services are not affected,” he added.