SUHAIL RATHER
Bandipora, March 01: Work in district hospital in North Kashmir’s Bandipora continue to remain suspended on second consecutive day as the medical and paramedic staff continue to remain on strike to demand release of their pending salaries.
Amid the strike, Patients visiting the hospital’s OPD ward are facing lot of hardships. The patients also protested on Thursday and asked the government to fulfil the genuine demands of the hospital staff to end the strife. “If their salary has not been released, then government should do the needful so that patients do not suffer,” patients said.
The employees have threatened to intensify their strike if the Government does not pay heed to their demands. They said the strike will continue till the Government releases their salaries.
The protesting employees said that they are without salary for last 3 months due to which they are on the verge of starvation.
The protestors said that they are without salaries and are suffering because of callous attitude of department towards them. “We are forced to stage protests because the department has totally failed to meet our demands and our families are suffering and we are unable to pay to shopkeepers, said a protesting employee.
He said, we are facing immense hardships as they are not able to support their families and cannot meet daily needs. Protesting employees demanded permanent CMO with full powers and clerical staff. “I have no other source of income. My family is suffering because the salary has been withheld for three months, said another employee.