More unions chip in to support health employees’ agitation

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 5

Members of various health employees’ unions on Tuesday staged a district-level protest in front of the civil surgeon’s office at the civil hospital here. They were protesting against the state government’s decision to privatise primary healthcare.

During the three-hour protest, they raised slogans against the state government. Later, the protesters submitted a memorandum to civil surgeon Dr HN Singh.

Union leaders staged the protest under the banner of the Health Sewa Bachao Committee. Sukhmander Singh, Baldev Singh Romana, Narinder Kumar, Kulwinder Singh and Jagdish Rai took part in the protest.

They said the state Health Department was running away from its responsibility of providing quality healthcare services to people. Giving primary healthcare to private players would further deteriorate the quality of such services in rural areas. They were opposed to the state government’s decision to privatise rural as well urban health centres.

The BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) on Tuesday joined the health workers’ protest and condemned the state government’s decision.

District president of the union Shingara Singh Mann said the government, which could not save the health and education sectors, had no right to sit in power.

Besides, leaders of various other organisations and unions, including Master Sewak Singh, Bagga Singh and Kewal Bansal, addressed the protesters.