Emergency service in Meghalaya is likely to be affected with workers of the GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) announcing their indefinite strike from Friday.
The workers of the institute have decided to agitate in protest against the management’s alleged failure to meet their various demands.
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The emergency workers under the banner of Meghalaya EMRI Workers’ Union (MEWU) took this decision after holding a sit-in demonstration in Shillong on Thursday.
MEWU Publicity secretary, Joseph H. Pyngrope said that field staff members deployed with 108 Ambulance have been asked to hand over ambulance keys to the respective deputy commissioners in all the 11 districts by Friday.
MEWU president Roipar Kharraswai said the issues of the field staff were not addressed till date, though the union had sought the intervention of the state government on several occasions right from the chief minister, health minister and officers.
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“We are getting any help from anywhere and this has compelled us to come to the streets to demand for our rights,” he said.
Kharraswai said the union strongly opposes any move to terminate the services of as 12 field staff members who refused to comply with the transfer orders issued by the management.
The union also demands 20 per cent increment of salary, sanctioning of manpower, and local to local transfer of staff members.
The union also asked the Meghalaya government to take over the emergency service especially when the State government is funding the GVK EMRI.
“If the management does not stop such illogical transfer of field staff, we have no other option but to halt our services. It is important to note that if a Khasi field staff is transferred to Garo Hills, the problem of communication will arise and this affects and puts the life of patients at risk,” he said.
“Therefore, we demand that transfer should be based by taking these things into consideration,” Kharraswai further said.