Tension at MGM Hospital as over 600 outsourced staff go on indefinite strike demanding salary

WARANGAL: Tension prevailed in Warangal's MGM Hospital after over 600 outsourced staff decided to go on an indefinite strike demanding the removal of the third party HR agency that has hired them and get paid on par with the government employees hired in the state-run hospital.

The situation demanded police intervention after some of the protesters climbed the hospital building and threatened to commit suicide. 

As a result of the strike, the emergency and inpatient wards are overflowing with medical waste. 

The protesters have complained that the third-party agency has not paid them the salary, bonus, or PF on time.

The health department has sought help from the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) for disposal of the medical waste. 

The contract staff of the hospital raised slogans 'Go back GWMC sanitation staff'.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, K Jyothi, one of the outsourced hospital workers, said that most of them hail from poor families and face a lot of difficulties when salaries are not paid on time. “We have not been paid salaries regularly. The outsourcing agency's management keeps telling us that they will pay the salary soon after their bills are passed by the hospital authorities. We demand the Telangana government to stop utilising services of the agency and pay us salaries on par with state government employees," said Jyothi.