GMC staff protest move to grant autonomy to college
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 5
A joint protest against the state government’s move of granting autonomous status to Government Medical College was organised by faculty, paramedics, ministerial staff and Class IV employees here on Wednesday.
The protest was led by Joint Employees’ Group (JEG). The protesters comprised members from Nursing Association, Subordinate Staff Union, Operation Theatre Association, Medical Lab Technicians Association, Radiographers Association, Lab Attendants Association and Class IV Workers Union.
The protesters claimed that the government was trying to privatise medical education. Dr Mridu Grover, convener JEG, said: “We have started wearing black badges to express our resentment over the issue. We will not make the public suffer by boycotting work but will choose different way of protest instead.”
Dr Grover said while the government was preparing to grant autonomous status to the college, it did not care to take stakeholders into confidence. “We are still in dark as the modalities were not discussed with us,” she said, adding that if the government really wanted to better medical services, it should provide funds and manpower to the institution as is done in the case of PGI, Chandigarh.
“The college does not have enough sources of income and it cannot be expected to increase its revenue by putting a burden of higher medical charges and fee on patients and students,” said Dr Grover.
The faculty members said the way the government was keeping the entire matter under wraps raised suspicion. Dr Mridu said they would intensify the protest if the government did not reach out to them.
