India: Health assistants on hunger strike
11 February 2013
The health assistants’ demands include:
- Equal salary for equal qualification on a par with pharmacists, X-ray technicians etc,
- Reducing workload by allocating 1 female staff per 3000 members of the population in accordance with Central government scheme,
- Regular payment of monthly salary,
- Reinstating the abolished senior posts in Primary Health Centres & Taluk hospitals,
- Granting rural health allowance.
The hunger strike is held in front of the Health & Family Welfare Services Directorate, Bangalore, every day, with a rotation of members from two district branches, numbering around 1000 in all. Doctors associated with the strike on 4 February with their own demands.
The strike is supported by other health associations and by PSI affiliate, the Karnataka State Government Employees Association.
On 11 February the President of the Association was called in for negotiations by the Health Secretary.
For more information contact: Mr. Chandrasekhar, Organising Secretary, KSGEA