In response to the challenges posed by the strike held on August 8 by outsourced contract workers and labour, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Central Government and other relevant authorities to ensure uninterrupted provision of patient care services at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh.
The bench, which included Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal, acted after receiving reports that the strike had a strong impact on outpatient departments (OPDs) as well as in-house patient care services. The court has also prohibited all categories of contract and outsourced employees from participating in any work stoppage.
During the hearing, representatives from the Union of India and the Chandigarh Administration assured the court that the demands raised by the union of contract employees would be addressed with seriousness and positivity.
In a related development, police have registered a case against unidentified contract employees for protesting against the PGI Administration near the research block. Disobedience to legal directives during the demonstration resulted in the employees’ arrest under Section 223 of the Indian Penal Code.
The goal of the High Court’s intervention is to bring PGI back to normal while making sure that patients may continue to get critical medical care during this trying time.
