The Meghalaya government is hopeful that strike EMRI 108 emergency ambulance workers will call off their strike shortly.
Three rounds of meetings have been held between the government and the workers’ union, with the former trying to reassure the employees that their concerns will be taken on board.
Employees of the emergency service do not want GVK, the current private partners in running the service, to be awarded the contract again. They have complained repeatedly of being overworked and underpaid and would rather the state government take over the service directly.
The agreement period with GVK is nearing its end and the state government will begin the process of finding a new partner soon with the intention of finalising one by September, Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) Meghalaya, Ram Kumar, said today.
There are Supreme Court rulings that make it impossible for the state to take the ambulance service over directly, he added.
However, as far as HR policy is concerned, Kumar said that whenever the state engages a new partner, the EMRI union members will be involved.
