NEW DELHI: Staff at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have objected to the abrupt withdrawal of the Hospital Patient Care Allowance (HPCA) for Group C and D employees, warning that the decision places frontline workers at risk without adequate compensation.
In a representation to the institute director, the Karamchari Union of AIIMS said it was “disheartened” to learn that the payment of HPCA had been stopped with immediate effect through an office order dated July 1, 2025. “The nature of duties rendered by Group C and D employees in hospital settings is entirely different from those posted in ministries and offices. In hospitals, these categories of staff play a crucial role in providing essential and emergency services, directly or indirectly dealing with patients,” the union said in its letter.
According to the union, more than 15,000 patients and an equal number of attendants visit AIIMS every day, many of whom suffer from communicable diseases including COVID-19, tuberculosis, swine flu, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The staff argued that the hospital environment itself makes them vulnerable to debilitating and life-threatening infections.
Union representatives further pointed out that employees often share common spaces with patients while entering the premises, collecting medical certificates, countersigning claim bills or attending grievance desks, making it impossible to avoid exposure. The union also cited the Gazette of India notification, which, it said, had accepted HPCA for all Group C and D employees.
Calling the discontinuation of HPCA “very disappointing,” the staff body warned of growing unrest among employees. “It is pertinent to say that all hospital settings come under the threat of communicable diseases and Group C and D are no exception. We request your personal intervention and continuation of HPCA at AIIMS, New Delhi, at par with the ministry,” the union told the director.
The union also highlighted that support staff are required to enter operation theatres, laboratories, wards, and outpatient departments to carry out their duties. "Workers from the engineering department, central workshop, stores and other support services are often involved in installing and inspecting equipment, maintaining utilities, and coordinating with clinicians and nurses to ensure uninterrupted patient services. All these categories are equally exposed to infected materials, instruments and environments,” the union argued.