Mumbai: Contract Nurses And Sanitation Workers Of Government Hospital In Bhayandar Launch Indefinite Agitation Over Unpaid Salaries

Bhayandar, 1st July 2023: Contract nurses and sanitation workers at the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Government Hospital in Bhayandar have started an indefinite agitation due to the non-payment of salaries for the past three months. Because of this dire situation, patients seeking medical attention at the facility have been facing significant inconvenience.

The Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital, which was constructed in 2016 by the Municipal Corporation, was transferred to the state government for administration in 2019 due to financial constraints. Since then, the state government’s health department has taken over the responsibility of managing the hospital. The facility has played a crucial role in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the government to fill sanctioned positions for doctors and nurses, in addition to employing others on a contractual basis.

However, the government’s negligence in managing the hospital has led to a shortage of cleaning staff, leaving contract nurses struggling to receive their wages. Presently, there are only 10 cleaning staff members, while a total of 55 nurses work on a contract basis. Unfortunately, none of them have received payment for the last three months, exacerbating a recurring issue that has persisted for the past two years. In response to this ongoing negligence, the employees had issued a warning seven days earlier, threatening to cease work if their salaries were not paid. However, with no response from the government, the employees initiated their strike on Saturday.

According to the workers, they have decided not to continue working until they get paid. Consequently, the hospital is facing a severe manpower shortage, greatly impacting the welfare of patients in need. Despite attempts to contact the hospital’s chief manager, Dr. Jafar Tadvi, for further information, he remains unreachable at this time.