Chandigarh: PGI contractual staff on strike today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

The PGI has decided to suspend OPD and elective OT services in view of a strike by contractual workers tomorrow. However, the teleconsultation service in the OPDs will remain functional.

Also read: Punjab and Haryana High Court restrains PGI workers' union from proceeding on strike

As emergency services will be provided with limited capacity, the PGI has advised hospitals in Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh not to refer patients to the institution.

The PGI further stated that diagnostic labs would provide only emergency services. No fresh admission would be done in indoor areas.

The Sanitation Department has been instructed to redeploy/redistribute regular hospital attendant/sanitation attendant in various patient care areas to ensure continuity of services. It has also been ordered that senior sanitation officers/sanitation inspectors will be available physically round the clock in the institute to address any issue.

Outsourced workers, who will report for duty, will be deployed based on the needs of the area. The control room will function round the clock as usual.

No work, no pay rule

The office of the Medical Superintendent stated that “no work, no pay” rule would be enforced, simply meaning that those on strike would not be entitled to the day’s salary.

Cooperation sought from public, hospitals

The PGI has sought cooperation from the general public and hospitals/medical institutes in the city and the adjoining UTs/states as OPD services at the institute will remain shut tomorrow in view of a strike by contractual workers.

“In an unprecedented turn of events, we have been constrained to close the OPDs for Friday. However, we have chalked out a contingency plan for optimum functioning of the hospital services,” said Prof Ashok Kumar, spokesman for the PGI.

“We empathise with our patients for inconvenience and suffering caused due to the unfortunate strike call. We are trying to facilitate them as much as possible and they can avail of our teleconsultation service at the specified numbers for various departments,” he said.

The PGI doesn’t have sufficient number of regular staff to cater to all patient care areas.

Emergency services with limited capacity

As emergency services will be provided with limited capacity, the PGI has advised hospitals in Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh not to refer patients to the institution.

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