108 ambulance employees to go for cease work from July 18

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 16, 2022

Employees of the GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) on Saturday decided to cease work on July 18 as a mark of protest against the state government’s failure to terminate the contract with the GVK-EMRI.

Announcing this decision, President of Meghalaya EMRI Workers’ Union (MEMRIWU) Microlina Syiemlieh told reporters that the cease work will start from 4 am on Monday.

Despite the expiry of the 72-hour ultimatum, neither the health minister nor the health department had shown any interest to invite the leaders of the union for talks on the matter, she said.

She informed that the delegation of the union had met the joint managing director of the National Health Mission (NHM), who assured that another round of meeting will again be held with the managing director of NHM on Monday.

Syiemlieh said although they have agreed to meet the MD of NHM, the fact remains that the NHM is not the authority concerned which can fulfill our demand. “In the past, we had also met the MD of NHM but no concrete assurance was given to us,” she added.

Expressing similar views, spokesperson of the union Roypar Kharraswai said that the GVK-EMRI has failed on all fronts in terms of providing quality health services to the people of the state and hence, the demand for immediate termination of the contract.

He said notwithstanding the state government sanctioning Rs 12 crore, yet the GVK-EMRI since 2018 has been indulging in cost cutting which has affected the smooth operation of the emergency services in the state.

He said monthly the state government sanctioned Rs 12 lakhs with an additional amount of Rs 5000 per ambulance that required 5 persons per Ambulance for providing services to the public, but the employees are overburdened with heavy workload and meager salary.

“The practice of cost cutting by the GVK-EMRI has led to shortage of manpower as the company wants to make profit for themselves,” Kharraswai alleged.  

The spokesperson further maintained that the state government is very much capable of taking over the emergency services as experienced staff are already available.