Indefinite strike by Jipmer employees enters day 9

Pondicherry, Sep 16: The indefinite strike by the Jipmer employees entered the nineth day today disrupting medical services in the centrally-administered hospital here.

The employers protesting against the move to convert Jipmer into an autonomous institution for which the Union Cabinet had given its approval.

Even as the striking employees gathered and sat silently near the Jipmer reception, the medical services at the casualty which was restored yesterday continued services today with the nurses who are at the stage of retirement and those under probation reporting for duty.

However, the Out Patients Department remained closed and there were hardly any patients at the hospital. The Jipmer employees could not resort to any agitation inside the campus due to a court order.

The employees today decided to sent fax messages to President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC President Sonia Gandhi seeking their intervention in the mater.

Meanwhile, D Nagar police today arrested Mr Muthu of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) for pasting posters inside the Jipmer campus in support of the striking employees.

Meanwhile, the Jipmer administration conducted walk-in interview for the second day today to appoint para-medical staff for the hospital on a temporary basis. A large number of candidates turned up for the interview which. It will be continued for another day.

Jipmer Employees Struggle Committee sources said the interview was an eye wash and they are not frightened.

They are scheduled to call on AIADMK supreme Ms Jayalalitha this evening, the sources added.

UNI