Chaos at Capital Hospital after OPD staffers go on strike

BHUBANESWAR: Patients and their attendants created an uproar at the Capital Hospital here on Monday for after the registration process suddenly stopped in outpatient department (OPD). Irate people, waiting in long queues, had altercation with hospital staff on the issue.
The chaos started at 9am when staff of OPD registration unit stopped working. The employees have been engaged by a private company Unisoft through outsourcing. The firm provides service by taking payment from the hospital.

"We are yet to get salary of 11 months from the company. How can a person work without payment? We have informed this to the hospital authorities and our company, but in vain. So we decided not to work today," said one of the 13 employees.

Dukhiram Sahu, an attendant of a patient, said the staff deployed at the OPD registration unit suddenly stopped providing OPD tickets. "I had been standing since 7am here to get an appointment with a doctor, but the registration unit suddenly stopped functioning. What is happening here?" he questioned.

Dhananjay Das, deputy superintendent of the hospital, said, "The company's employees suddenly took the step without giving a notice. We had warned the outsourcing agency to solve its staff issues. But we never thought that the workers will stop working by leaving so many people in the lurch. We will take action against the firm."

He said the hospital later issued OPD tickets manually.

Ashok Kumar Das from Unisoft said, "The hospital has not paid company's dues for nine months. If we do not get our dues from the hospital, how can we pay our employees? We have not paid eight months salary to our workers. We are trying to resolve the issue."