Employees of the 108 emergency services under the banner of the Meghalaya Emergency Management and Research Institute Workers’ Union (MEMRIWU) have reiterated their demand that the state government should take over the emergency services from GVK EMRI.
The union has also threatened agitations if the government continues to ignore their demand.
Addressing the media, Working President of the union, M Syiemlieh, said that they wanted to send a clear message that they will not accept the 108 emergency services being privatized or to remain under the GVK EMRI management.
Informing that the contract of the GVK EMRI with the state government will end in March, Syiemlieh said, “Our services extend to the public in the entire state and we want all the 60 MLAs to understand the importance of our services and take our petition seriously.”
Condemning Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek, who had earlier stated that the 108 emergency workers are not the responsibility of the state government, she said, “The Health Minister had given us false assurances that he would take up the issue in the cabinet but this never happened.”
If the government can fund the police and fire services, it should be no different with the emergency health services, she added.
