KGMU Strike: UP Deputy CM issues stern warning, threatens to impose ESMA

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited King George Medical University (KGMU) Lucknow on Thursday to take stock of the situation after many employees of the institution went on flash strike. 

Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Medical Health and Family Welfare department, called for an urgent end to the strike and warned them that if the strike did not end, then the ESMA (Essential Services Management Act) would be imposed on the striking employees.

The OPD at KGMU, which witnesses an average of more than 4,000 new patients daily, experienced a disruption when protesters locked the main gate of the trauma centre for a brief period. As a result, patients were unable to access healthcare services from the OPD for two hours, including the suspension of X-ray, pathology, and other facilities.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who reached the Trauma Center of KGMU on Thursday, inquired about the well-being of the patients and held discussions with hospital management and contractual employees.

Issuing a stern warning to the striking employees, the Deputy CM said, "Strike is unacceptable on the hospital premises. Patients are getting adequate treatment at KGMU. Health services have not been disrupted at all. If anyone disrupts health services, strict action will be taken against them."

Expressing strong disapproval over the protester's actions, Pathak said, “We will not tolerate any laxity towards patients as health care comes under essential services. However, we will also protect the rights of our employees.”

He also questioned why they didn’t raise their concerns with officials in Lucknow before resorting to a strike that jeopardized patient care. "Action will also be taken against the agency that deducted payment of contractual workers. We will take action against the agency that did not work according to rules,” Pathak added.

"Public health service is a very serious matter; service to patients is our top priority. If in the future there is any obstruction in the noble work of public health and there is a strike, then action will be taken against all the striking doctors and employees under the ESMA (Essential Services Management Act)," Pathak posted on X.

Meanwhile, the officials of the agency, Xeam Ventures, assured that the error due to biometric attendance will be rectified. “We have assured employees that any difference in amount based on manual attendance approved by respective HoDs will soon be paid to them individually,” said Sanjay Srivastava, AGM, Xeam Ventures.

Vice Chancellor KGMU Prof Soniya Nityanand informed TOI, "The concerns of contractual workers should have come to me first before concerns regarding job security and compensation."