JIPMER strike enters day 12, partial care services restored

Puducherry, Sep 19 (UNI) With the indefinite strike by JIPMER employees entering the 12th day, the centrally-administered hospital administration restored partial patient care services with minimum staff today.

The employees launched the strike from Septmber eight demanding revocation of the Union Government's approval to grant autonomous status to JIPMER.

The JIPMER administration managed to open the out-patients department with a few staff today. While the main entrance of the OPD remained locked, patients were allowed through another door and given treatment. The casuality ward also functioned with a skeleton staff.

Meanwhile, the hospital administration continued with the walk-in interview to appoint lower division clerks and medical record clerks for which a large number of youths turned up today.

The strikng employees gathered near the JIPMER reception and staged a dharna. Four employees, including the president and secretary of the OBC employees union, who joined duty today were removed and new president and secretary for the OBC Union were selected.

The JIPMER anti-conversion peoples' joint action committee would meet at JIPMER later in the day to chalkout the future course of action.

The committee had already called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh here on September 26.

UNI PAB ROY AKJ BS1401