CGHS employees threaten indefinite strike from today

Throwing almost 37 lakh beneficiaries into jeopardy, employees of the central government health scheme (CGHS) dispensaries have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Friday, unless their demand to fill 2,000 vacant posts is met by the Union health ministry. On Thursday, employees, who also staged a demonstration on Thursday, submitted their demands to health minister J P Nadda.

Mirror was told that for 37 lakh beneficiaries across India, there are only 4,000 employees. In Pune, 117 employees are deputed to handle nine dispensaries, two homoeopathy clinics and two laboratories.

Francis Ellis, general secretary of all-India CGHS, told Mirror that out of the 117, 30-odd are set to retire in the next one month. “While beneficiaries keep increasing, we are suffering a lack of manpower. There are 6,000 sanctioned posts, of which 4,000 are occupied. We need at least 5,000 employees to cater to all beneficiaries,” Ellis said.

“If the ministry fails to act, it will leave beneficiaries — who are on regular medicines for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc. — stranded,” said Jaidev, president of the all-India CGHS employees association.

Those who visit dispensaries for routine health check-ups and to buy medicines will be left with no choice but to resort to private hospitals or chemist shops, said Madhav Bamne, the past president of all-India central government pensioners association.

“A good amount of money will then be needed to be spent. Us pensioners, who are paid a paltry amount of money, will find it difficult to afford private treatment. The CGHS employees association should think twice before calling a strike, which will affect us severely,” said Bamne

All efforts to reach Nadda were futile, as his secretary insisted that the minister was busy at a meeting on this issue.