Jipmer paralysed as employees continue strike

Pondicherry, Sep 9(UNI) The functioning of the centrally administered Jipmer hospital was 'totally paralysed' as the employees continued their strike for the second day protesting the move to convert it into an autonomous institution.

With the union cabinet giving it's approval for the conversion of Jipmer into an autonomous institution the day before yesterday,the Jipmer anti-conversion action committee embarked on an indefinite strike yesterday morning throwing the functioning in the hospital out of gear.

Like yesterday almost all the departments, including the out patient department, did not function today also and there were not many patients. Though, the casuality remained open, there was no staff to man it. Several in-patients were also discharged and referred to other hospitals excluding the post surgery cases which were taken care of by the resident doctors.

However, they could not be provided with food as the kitchen staff of the hospital also joined the strike. The relatives of the in-patients found it difficult to provide them with food as most of the doors remained closed.

The employees who had already announced that the strike would continue till the union cabinet withdrew the approval, organised a dharna in front of the reception today.

Meanwhile, a three-member offical team from the union health ministry comprising Health Secretary Prasanna Hota, Joint secretary Bhavani Thyagarajan and Dy.Director General Ananthanarayanan will be reaching Jipmer later in the day to hold talks with the striking employees.

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