Health and Family Welfare Minister James PK Sangma has again urged EMRI 108 workers to end their strike.
However, the minister once again rejected a key demand of the workers, namely that the state government take over the emergency ambulance service.
EMRI workers are opposed to the running of the service by GVK, alleging that they are underpaid and overworked. The government is in the process of issuing a new tender for the running of the service and Sangma promised that the workers will be treated well under the new regime.
“Having an agitation like this is unfortunate and we have expressed to them that they must cease this strike and come back to work,” Sangma said today, adding that no state government in the country runs the 108 service itself. He warned that the blame for any untoward incident caused by the loss of the service during the strike would land up at the workers’ union’s door.
However, he admitted that an audit found that the service provided by GVK has many lapses and the performance has not been up to the mark. But he added that a strike in a crucial service like the 108 ambulances, especially at a time when Covid-19 cases are rising again, is untenable.
