Open House: How can the PGI ensure uninterrupted service during strike while addressing staff’s concerns?

As the PGI is a big hospital and people from across the country visit the facility to get treated, uninterrupted service by all the workers is needed. This should be mentioned in the contracts of all essential workers, and a backup waiting list may be prepared by the hospital.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Need to Shut down non-emergency units

When the essential workers of a hospital are on strike and negotiations fail and the management cannot find temporary workers, they have a couple of options. They may shift outpatient clinical staff into inpatient roles and reschedule non-urgent appointments to later dates. In the worst-case scenario, hospitals can shut down non-emergency units.

Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar

PGI needs to Hire permanent staff

The PGI authorities need to employ regular workers on a permanent basis rather than play with the wellbeing of patients’ with contractual staff.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Provide uninterrupted service at hospital

The hospital management needs to hire regular employees in place of contract staff so that the hospital may function throughout the day without interruptions.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Ensure employee commitment

The lives of patients are paramount, demanding unwavering dedication from healthcare workers. Prospective employees at the PGI must understand the critical nature of their roles. It is imperative that they pledge not to disrupt services with strikes.

Vijay Katyal, Panchkula

Settle employee demands in time

The hospital authorities need to settle all the demands of the employees in time to prevent strikes. Certain new welfare schemes may be started such as crèche for children of employees, regular bonus and employees insurance, among others.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

Make stopgap arrangements

While awarding the contract, the PGI authorities should ask the manpower providers to submit their stopgap arrangement plan in case the workforce goes on strike.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

Fulfil justified demands of staff

The major demand of contractual workers for equal work and equal pay as per the agreement with PGIMER dated January 20 should be implemented. The contractual employees should have a board or a committee to address their concerns.

Brigadier Advitya Madan

Offer employees fair compensation, benefits

To maintain uninterrupted medical services during strikes, the hospital could implement cross-training programmes to enable non-contract staff to fill essential roles. Offering fair compensation, benefits and opportunities for advancement can improve job satisfaction and reduce the likelihood of strikes.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Communicate with contract employees

The PGI management should consider a transparent communication channel to proactively address worker concerns. This could involve regular meetings and surveys to identify grievances before they escalate, fostering trust and a sense of value for essential workers.

Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

Form committee with workers

The PGI should create a designated committee with worker representatives. This committee may explore alternative staffing models for emergencies during strikes, potentially including upskilling the existing staff or partnering with local temporary agencies.

Gurdev Singh, Mohali

Develop adequate contingency plans

The PGI could draft a committee with worker representatives, and the committee could draft contingency plans for minimal disruption during strikes, including cross-training for critical tasks.

Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

Establish substitute workforce at hospitals

PGI should establish a contingency workforce and cross-train existing staff to ensure critical services remain unaffected during strikes.

Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali

Start dialogue with contract workers

The PGI must establish open communication with contract workers and address concerns, including pay, conditions and job security. Implement ESMA, strengthen internal dispute resolution, organise alternative staffing, maintain minimum service levels and regularly assess and update policies to prevent future disruptions.

Prithvee Yakhmi

Regularise contract staff of hospital

The contractual staff, as per seniority, should be promoted to permanent workers as they put in the same time as the existing permanent staff.

MR Bhateja, Naya Gaon

Provide Adequate remuneration

The PGI must come up with a sustainable remuneration package for the contract workers. As the patient load at PGI is high, strikes of any nature can be catastrophic.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Management needs to be responsible

The PGI needs to maintain a list of volunteers from self-help groups and NGO’s so that patients that visit hospitals do not face any problems. On the other hand, the demands of the workers should be addressed prior to a strike by the management of the PGI. The management needs to resolve the problems that the workers are facing in a peaceful manner to ensure that essential staff do not have to resort to a strike.

Manju Malhotra Phool, Chandigarh

Staff should stage silent protests

Instead of ceasing work, the workers should opt for a silent protest. However, the authorities are also responsible for this situation because they should have tried to fulfil the demands of these workers.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Do not obstruct medical services

The protesters should be aware of how their stopping work affects patients at the hospitals. They should learn how to speak without obstructing healthcare services.

Parisha Khatri, Chandigarh

Protesters, mgmt liable to legal action

If the essential staff goes on strike, they should be liable to legal action along with the management, as they too are responsible for the essential workers’ strike.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

End strike through reconciliation

In light of recent strikes by PGI contract workers, the hospital authorities should take the necessary steps immediately to ensure uninterrupted medical services. There should be a need to end the strike through reconciliation.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Contract culture needs to go

As there is a big difference in emoluments between regular and contract employees for the same work, this is the major reason for resentment. If the institutions really cannot do without manpower, then why not provide regular employment to deserving candidates?

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

Have transparent conversations

The management of the institution should ensure smooth and peaceful operations at the hospital. They need to have transparent conversations with all the union leaders and redress their grievances to ensure that the contractual staff do not have to resort to strikes.

Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

Address workers’ grievances

The best way to provide quality healthcare to the patients in the midst of the protest is only possible if the government takes a step forward to address their grievances. Also, the protestors may be moved to a designated spot to hold a peaceful protest so that the work at the hospital is not affected.

Devanjan, Chandigarh

Prioritise well-being of staff, patients

During strikes, the hospitals must prioritise the safety and wellbeing of staff and patients on the premises. The hospital management should hire temporary staff when the essential workers are on strike to maintain the workflow at the hospital. The management also needs to hold transparent conversations with the protestors to prevent future strikes.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Ensure uninterrupted medical services

The medical staff and the essential workers at the hospitals need to take an oath before joining the institute to provide uninterrupted services to patients. Alternatively, this can be taken in writing, and strict action such as punishment in jail or dismissal from services should be established.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Communication gap the root cause

The root cause of any strike is a communication gap. Most, if not all, matters can be resolved by having a healthy discussion between both parties. The management needs to make quick decisions regarding all the justified demands, and the unjustified demands should be dealt with ‘No work, no pay’.

Dr Rakesh Sachdeva

QUESTION for next week

In Chandigarh, only 19 per cent high-rises exceeding 15 metre height have mandatory fire safety certificate. What steps should the MC take to ensure strict enforcement of fire safety norms?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]

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