MADURAI: Around 56 workers aged above 57 years of age, deployed at the Madurai GRH by a contract agency, were removed from service. The decision was taken after doctors from the GRH expressed that these workers were slow and inefficient.
Sources said that around 706 workers under the old agency (Krystal Facilities Ltd) were deployed as housekeepers, helpers, supervisors, and security guards and were stationed at many blocks of the GRH such as Super Special Block, TAEI (Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative), and at the Cancer Care centre in Balarengapuram, which is controlled by the GRH. However, after Sumeet Facilities Ltd - a new agency took up the contract recently, they removed 56 workers above the age of 57 years.
Besides, they also recruited 138 workers for the JICA Block. Currently, a total of 788 workers are deployed. Dr S Saravanan, Madurai GRH Resident Medical Officer (RMO) told TNIE, “We received complaints from wards about the contract workers and their inefficiency and slowness. This was hampering the day-to-day work of the medical facility itself. We expressed that these workers should be replaced by young people. As a result, the agency itself was replaced, and they recruited alternative workers.”
On Wednesday, a group of contract workers above the age of 60 staged a protest inside the facility, claiming their livelihood had been lost.
Rajsurya (name changed), one of the contract workers, said, “We were deployed within the GRH premises for the past three years. The old contract agency conducted medical tests, and we were found to be fit and healthy. However, we were removed without any notice. If we lose our jobs, our family will suffer from financial issues.”
An official from Sumeet Facilities Ltd said, “It is difficult to employ people above 57 years due to labour issues. Earlier, when these workers were deployed by the previous agency, they were given work that required less labour and in non-hazardous sections. We conducted health camps, and though these workers are fit, it is dangerous for them to work in disease-prone zones. In general work schedules, these workers will face hardship.”
He added, “So, we made a note of the seriousness of the situation to our management, and the new management decided to remove such workers. Since these elderly workers will face financial difficulties, we have advised them to nominate one of their family members for the job. Besides, we have also arranged a meeting with these workers along with our higher authorities from Chennai within two days to resolve the issue.”