Ranchi: Around 2,000 drivers and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), who are working in the state health department’s 108-ambulance service, on Monday announced an indefinite strike from Oct 21 over their pending wages and other financial emoluments, threatening to ground a fleet of 500 ambulances during the festive season.The employees staged a symbolic protest at Ranchi Sadar Hospital and other spots across the state with begging bowls to highlight the financial hardships being encountered by them. Alleging that they have not been paid since Jul this year, they demonstrators also sought reinstatement of co-workers who have been dismissed from service, provident fund and other emoluments.Neeraj Tiwari, president of Jharkhand Pradesh Ambulance Karamchari Sangh, said, “The agitation would continue until the authorities took concrete steps to resolve the issues and ensure workers received their dues and statutory benefits.”The demonstrators also demanded that the 108-ambulance service be operated at the district level through civil surgeons, and they be brought under the ambit of employee state insurance, EPF, overtime payments and gratuity.Suraj Sahu, the association’s state general secretary and Ranchi district president, said a meeting chaired by health minister Irfan Ansari on Sept 16 had assured employees that their grievances would be addressed within 15 to 20 days. However, the association alleged that the promised timeline had passed without any concrete action.
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