Tirunelveli MCH staff protest against new contractor enters 14 day

The hospital is currently facing a staff shortage, as 95 employees, including plumbers, technicians, and lift operators, continue their work boycott in protest against a new contractor.

According to the TNIE news report, the strike began after employees hired by a manpower agency in 2019 were asked to work under a new agency, one that was already supplying manpower to TvMCH.

The workers refused to accept the new contractor, alleging that, according to the terms of the contract, they would be required to work for more than eight hours and their designations would be reduced to just two categories, i.e. cleaning staff and security.

As they continue their work boycott, it is reported that the hospital administration is facing significant difficulties in managing daily patient services.

Activists alleged that the administration failed to manage tasks ranging from sanitation to ensuring an adequate water supply in the wards. On this, an activist stated that the large quantity of garbage accumulated inside the campus has not yet been removed.

However, the hospital's Dean, C Revathi Balan, denied this allegation, stating that the manpower agency has provided new contract employees to replace those 95 workers.

Responding to allegations of a water shortage in the dialysis ward, Revathi stated that the hospital administration effectively manages the ward's water requirements through various sources.

“We have our own water source, like a well, and also get water from the corporation,” she said.

Last year, Medical Dialogues had reported that a doctor at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), accused of fabricating medical records by falsely stating that the road accident victim was intoxicated at the time of the incident, has been removed from his position.