Large number of employees of 108 emergency services boycotted their regular duties on Thursday even as top GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute) authorities maintained that they had managed to operate the critical emergency ambulance services in all Telangana districts.
Members affiliated to 10 employee unions said that they would continue to protest by not joining duties till their demands are met. The management of GVK EMRI has maintained that stop gap arrangements are in place and they would be able to tide of the crisis due to adequate availability of trained manpower to operate ambulances.
“From each Telangana district, we have received close to 100 health assistants from the office of the local district health and medical officer. We are utilising their services as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Large number of employees, mostly comprising of drivers from another employee unions, have also reported to their duties. This has helped us a lot in operating the ambulances,” said Chief Operating Officer, GVK EMRI, Brahmananda Rao. GVK EMRI officials said that out of 316 ambulances in Telangana, they have managed to operate close to 309 emergency vehicles in the districts. There are 400 to 500 additional staff, consisting of EMTs and drivers, who are undergoing training at GVK EMRI, officials said.
“They have completed training and we will be pressing them into service. We have adequate number of staffers who can fill-in so that emergency services are operated,” said Mr. Rao.
Meanwhile, president of 108 Employees Union, Mahender Reddy, maintained that the agitation will be intensified. “Our demands are just and from tomorrow we will take up relay hunger strikes and continue to boycott duties till demands are met.” Major demands of the striking employees include pay hike and reduction of working hours from 12 hours to eight hours and recalling 60 sacked employees.
