Gandhi Hospital contract staff goes on strike

Musheerabad: The washrooms of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th floors of the Gandhi Hospital have been locked up and the patients are forced to use the public toilet on the ground floor. With no sanitation workers attending the duty, the stench has become unbearable. The attendants who accompany patients are forced to wait outside hospital.

500 outsourcing workers that include sanitation workers, security staff and causality workers of Gandhi Hospital went on strike and staged protest at the entrance of the main block of the hospital on Tuesday morning.

TS Medical Contract Employees and Worker Union's city council affiliated to All India Trade Union Congress (AICTU) called the strike. "We have given strike notice 15 days back," said M Narasimha, president, Gandhi Hospital Contract Workers Union.

Further, he said, "We have represented the issue to the department concerned of the hospital last week, but we did not get any response from them. Whenever we ask about our salary they say that we have not received any sanction amount from the hospital authorities."

"We would remain off duties till we get our salaries and strike would continue till our demand is fulfilled," says Rajani, a sanitation worker. Ramakant, an attendant said, "I am taking my son to the second floor by carrying him on my shoulder."