Opposing any move to change the ratio of staff per ‘104' ambulance for rural areas, about 130 employees of fixed day health services (FDHS) under the service in the district have been on strike since November 15.
According to 104 Contract Employees' Union district committee, affiliated to CITU, a committee report after the services were brought under Arogyasri trust reportedly stated that 900 of the 3,000 staff were adequate to run the services.
Union president V. Rajaiah said the remaining employees were feeling insecure.
Against the earlier practice of having driver, lab technicians, pharmacist and data entry operators per each vehicle, the present move contemplated three employees for two vehicles, he alleged.
The employees who organised a dharna at the DM&HO on Wednesday also accosted EMRI regional manager Hemanth Bhat and explained their problems to him.
Mr. Rajaiah said food allowance of Rs.70 a day to those who go on duty in the ambulance had been pending since March. In the other districts, it was cleared up to August.
DM&HO G. Savitri assured them that the arrears would be released soon. The union has also been demanding running of 104 services by the government itself, continuing all the employees of 104, payment of salaries according to GO No. 3, maternity leave for women staff, abolition of district coordinators and assistant district coordinators and increasing food allowance to Rs.100.
