The outsourcing employees of Pabna General Hospital on Monday went on strike demanding regularisation of their jobs and payment of salaries. They started this programme by stopping all work from 10 am and locking the doctors’ rooms and standing in front of the Deputy Director’s office on the second floor of the hospital.

Due to the lock-up in the doctor’s room, no doctor could enter the room, so hundreds of people who came for treatment suffered a lot.

The employees said that three years ago, about fifty hundred employees including nannies (Aya), sweepers were hired in the hospital through outsourcing for Tk 17 thousand 5 hundred.

Although they were given salary for the first year, later complications arose in their recruitment process. Their papers were taken but their jobs were not made permanent. And for the last one year they are not getting any salary. Due to this, they have to live an inhumane life with their families.

They said, how long will we work like this. We have a family. Due to non-payment of salary, we are living in starvation and half-starvation with our family. But the hospital authorities did not pay any attention to this matter. The workers have also warned that a larger agitation programme will be announced if their salaries are not paid immediately.

Meanwhile, the patients and their relatives who came to the hospital for treatment suffered due to such programmes of the employees. Patients had to wait for hours as the doctor’s room was locked.

Later they went on strike with the assurance of the hospital authorities. Assistant Director of Pabna General Hospital Dr. Omar Faruque Meer said, ‘Employees are on strike over some of their demands. We are trying to resolve the issue. I hope the matter will be resolved.’