Aarogyasri staff go on stirke

Aarogyasri workers at Gandhi hospital went on a mass leave Tuesday , bringing services to a halt for a few hours. As a result, several surgeries were delayed.Workers who draw salaries lesser than that of sanitation staffers have been unhappy for a while now. Unable to raise this issue with the health minister during his visit last week, , the staffers decided to go on unannounced leave for a day.

Nearly 40 Aarogyasri workers (of the 90) availed the leave. “Although there were Aarogyasri mitras at the hospital, we were unable to get registered for the treatment. The counters were not manned when we reached the hospital around 10 am and had to return without meeting the doctors,“ said Sailu, who had visited



the hospital along with his wife.

According to sources, Aarogyasri workers are planning to go on similar unannounced offs in other state-run hospitals too to teach the authorities a lesson.“The last time workers received a salary hike was nine years ago. 

Currently Aarogyasri workers across Gandhi hospital, Gandhi medical college, Niloufer hospital and Osmania General Hospital among others get paid a paltry slaary of `8,200 per month while even the sanitation workers are paid `9,000 very month. They were especially angered after the health minister's visit to the hospital last week,“ said M Narasimha, president, contract workers union, Gandhi Hospitals.