Over 3,500 renal patients undergoing dialysis in 124 government-run units across Karnataka have been hit following a protest by members of the Karnataka State Dialysis Workers’ Union since Thursday.
Demanding immediate payment of salaries that have been held up for the last three months, clearance of dues that have been pending for over two years by the agencies running the service and job security, nearly 600 employees, including dialysis technicians, nurses and ‘D’ group staff, manning the 124 dialysis units, launched an indefinite protest at Freedom Park since Thursday.
Following this, patients due for dialysis on Wednesday either missed the life-saving procedure or were forced to get it done a day before. The situation is likely to worsen on Saturday for many who are due for dialysis.
While the employees’ have been demanding restoration of the salaries paid before the transfer of the dialysis scheme from BRS Health and Research Institute to Kolkata-based ESKAG Sanjeevini Pvt. Ltd. in January 2022, the PPP contract with the latter was terminated two months ago by the government.
“While we have to get nine months ESI and PF benefits payable by BRS, ESKAG Sanjeevini has to pay us two months’ salaries (August and September) and 20 months’ ESI and PF benefits. Besides, the company also has to pay us arrears for 20 months (at the rate of ₹2,000 per month) and pending increment amount. As many as 22 of our female colleagues, who had availed maternity leave during ESKAG’s 20-month tenure, have not been paid maternity benefits,” said inion president Chetan S.K.
“We have no guarantee of job security. There is a fear that our services will be terminated by the new service provider as retaining the old staff is not one of the tender conditions of the PPP scheme. We want the government to give us job security irrespective of who the service provider is,” he said.
Upset that the Health Department has only been assuring them of resolving their demands every time they protest, the employees have now determined to boycott work till they their demands are actually met. “We will continue our protest in front of the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi from Monday,” Chandrashekar, a technician from Arsikere in Hassan district, said.
Alternative arrangements
Srinivas G.A., State Deputy Director in charge of the dialysis scheme, said alternative arrangements had been made at the centres by involving technicians from private nursing homes to ensure patients do not miss their dialysis.
“NHM mission director Naveen Bhat and I met the protesters and requested them to withdraw the strike. We have assured them that their dues will be collected from the agency and paid to them shortly. Whatever is due from BRS will have to be paid by the government and we are getting the Finance Department’s clearance for that,” he said.
In a statement, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said agencies who have withheld the payment of ESI and PF benefits to the employees are being blacklisted. “The process of allotting work under the new tenders is under way and the employees’ dues will be cleared shortly,” the Minister assured.
