Representative image of a hospital.
Credit: PTI File Photo
About 250 sanitation workers at the state-run Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar went on cease work on Tuesday over a host of demands, affecting healthcare services.
Among their demands was a hike in pay and cancellation of the fresh tender to engage a new contractor for sanitation works. The protestors demonstrated outside the hospital director's office.
'We have been working for more than 10 years with a monthly salary of Rs 10,500, excluding the PF and ESI. However, instead of giving a hike, the new contractor is asking us to work for Rs 8,500 per month,' said Mani Dei, a housekeeping staff of the hospital.
The salaries should be hiked and not a single sanitation worker should be dismissed from service, she said.
'We will continue our protest till the demands are fulfilled,' she added.
Due to the protest, services at the hospital came to a halt with garbage scattered around the campus.
Hospital director Laxmidhar Sahu said the fresh tender was issued according to the direction of the Health Department, and a new contractor will take over on September 16.
'A discussion was held with the workers and we informed them that all of them would be retained, and they would get the same salary and there would be no anomaly in PF and ESI. Still, they are in protest for some unjustified demands like Dussehra bonus and advance payment,' he said.
Stating that the protest has affected patient services, he urged the sanitation workers to return to work.
Around 10,000 patients visit the Capital Hospital's outpatient department every day.