Support staff of Rims protest salary delay
Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences
(Rims) were affected briefly in the first half of Tuesday after employees from the central sterile supply department (CSSD) and the laundry unit protested against non-payment of salaries for the past several months.
The strike threatened the suspension of all cardiac and other critical surgical procedures until noon. Officials, however, claimed that no major problem was encountered during the period.
CSSD and laundry workers, whose responsibilities include sterilising surgical instruments and managing hospital linen, struck work. These workers, who earn between Rs 6,500 and Rs 8,500 per month, claimed that they reached a point of starvation and severe financial distress.
Many reported being deep in debt, unable to pay household expenses or their children's school fees.
Agustin Bakhla, a protester, said, "It's been six months without pay. Our patience has run out. We are drowning in debt and struggling to feed our families."
Pankaj Kumar, another protester, said, "We have issued a written warning to the hospital authorities 10 days before the strike, indicating that we would stop work if our salary issues were not addressed.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money
Expertinspector
Click Here
Undo
Despite this, the administration reportedly failed to take timely action."
Notably, Rims outsourced CSSD and laundry services to Medilab, a private agency. However, the agency failed to pay its workers for months, citing delayed payments from the hospital. Rims director Dr Raj Kumar said, "According to terms of agreement, Medilab is obligated to continue paying its workers regardless of delays in institutional payments, a clause it clearly violated."
The administration acknowledged that some of Medilab's earlier bills were submitted late, which contributed to payment delays. However, officials affirmed that recent bills were submitted on time and that the institution would clear the pending payments within three days. According to the Rims administration, all services continued without disruption as the strike was called off.
Meanwhile, the employees agreed to return to work after assurances from the administration and a written commitment from Medilab to clear pending dues within a week.
The Rims director has instructed officials to submit a report on the reasons for the strike within five days. "If the contractor is found guilty of violating the tender terms and disrupting essential services, Rims will lodge an FIR against them," Dr Kumar added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
HC asks Chhattisgarh govt to pay Rs 25,000 each to students served dog-soiled mid-day meal
NEW DELHI: The Chhattisgarh High Court has ordered the state government to compensate 84 students with Rs 25,000 each after they consumed dog-soiled mid-day meals at a middle school in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district in July. The court's division bench found negligence on the part of the government and mandated the payment to be made within one month despite the state's argument that the affected students had received anti-rabies treatment and were medically fit. The ruling came after the High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident as a Public Interest Litigation and demanded an affidavit from the state government. The incident occurred on July 28 at the government middle school in Lachchhanpur village, where a self-help group was responsible for preparing mid-day meals. According to the government's inquiry report, students noticed that a dog had contaminated their food and alerted teachers. Despite teachers advising against distributing the soiled food, SHG members ignored the directive and served it to students. The Chief Medical and Health Officer reported that all affected students received three doses of anti-rabies vaccine by August 8. The students were found medically fit after health check-ups and continued attending school regularly. As a precautionary measure, Primary Health Centre personnel at Lachchhanpur are keeping the children under continuous observation. The authorities took disciplinary action by removing the SHG from mid-day meal preparation duties and barring them from future government benefits. Several school officials, including the in-charge Principal, Cluster Principal, and teachers, were suspended on August 6. Following the incident, the Balodabazar-Bhatapara collector issued new directives for mid-day meal preparation and distribution to school education department officials. The Directorate of School Education also implemented new guidelines for District Education Officers to ensure cleanliness, hygiene, and regular quality checks under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana. The state government defended its position by stating no compensation was necessary as the students were medically fit after examination. "Considering the fact that it was an institution of the government and SHG was assigned to provide mid-day meal, but the said mid-day meal was soiled by a dog and it was unfit for consumption for the students of the school. And though three doses of anti-rabies has been administered to 84 children of the school, it was negligent on the part of the state to take care that the food which was being offered in the mid-day meal by the SHG to the children of middle school, we deem it proper that Rs 25,000 be paid by the state to each of the student of the concerned middle school, who had consumed the said meal, within a period of one month from today (August 19)," the bench noted. The High Court concluded with an observation: "We hope and trust that the state would be more vigilant and careful in providing mid-day meal to the children studying in government schools." The order was delivered by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru on Tuesday. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
‘Kalai Pattarai' launched to take on drug menace via art in Chennai
CHENNAI: School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Wednesday inaugurated the 'Kalai Pattarai' initiative for classes 9 to 12 students of government schools. As part of the programme, students, after being sensitised to the ill effects of drug use, expressed their thoughts through paintings and posters to spread awareness. The initiative aims to create a platform for students to express themselves through art. As part of the initiative, 90 students and 50 teachers from 20 high and higher secondary schools in the city attended an introductory session on the dangers of drug abuse. With the guidance of professional artists, students created drug-prevention awareness paintings and posters. These trained students and teachers will take the programme to other schools in the city. Similar events will also be organised across districts, for which Rs 1.5 crore has been sanctioned. Speaking on the occasion, Poyyamozhi said the best paintings and posters by students would be displayed in schools across the state.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
TG attracted Rs 54,000 crore investments in life sciences: Sridhar Babu
Hyderabad: State IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu announced that the Life Sciences sector in Telangana has witnessed remarkable growth. Since December 2023, the sector has attracted investments worth Rs 54,000 crore, positioning Hyderabad as a global leader in life sciences. The Minister chaired the 6th Board Meeting of the Telangana Life Sciences Foundation in Hyderabad on Wednesday, in his capacity as Chairman. Board members including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Chairman Satish Reddy, Laurus Labs ED & CEO Dr. Satyanarayana Chava, Special Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and Shakti Nagappan participated in the meeting. Sridhar Babu highlighted that over 2 lakh new jobs have been created in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical technology, and vaccine production. 'Hyderabad now ranks among the world's top seven life sciences clusters, and it is the only Indian city to achieve this distinction,' he said. He noted that global giants such as Lilly, Amgen, MSD, Zoetis, Evernorth, and Olympus have chosen Hyderabad as their preferred hub. Telangana will soon unveil its Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy, which he described as 'a cutting-edge policy framework designed to attract large-scale investments.' The state has set an ambitious target to scale its Life Sciences economy to USD 250 billion by 2030, aiming to make Telangana the Life Sciences Capital of Asia. The Minister further proposed preparing a feasibility report for establishing the Telangana School of Life Sciences.
