Civic staff want vacant posts in Sewri TB Hospital, six maternity homes and other institutes under the civic body's health department filled up at the earliest
At least two hundred staff members from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gathered outside the executive health officer's office in Parel on Thursday and demanded filling up of vacant posts in the civic body's health department. These distressed employees came from all over the city — cemeteries, maternity homes, insecticide control department, specialty hospitals, family welfare and BMC-run dispensaries.
BMC runs five specialty hospitals in the city: Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Chinchpokli, Tuberculosis Hospital in Sewri, ENT Hospital in CST, Eye Hospital in Kamathipura and Acworth Hospital for Leprosy in Wadala. "All of these hospitals have high burden of work, but they are understaffed. We demand filling up of the vacant posts in them," said Pradip Narkar, secretary, Municipal Mazdoor Union (MMU).
"Of 626 sanctioned posts of sweepers, ward boys, hamaals and liftmen in Sewri TB Hospital, up to 52 posts are lying vacant. Of 374 posts in Kasturba, 64 are vacant. In ENT and Eye Hospitals, up to 15 posts are vacant, while at Acworth seven posts need to be filled," added Narkar.
BMC also runs six maternity homes in Mumbai including those at Prabhadevi, Raoli Camp, Naigaon, Charni Road and Reay Road. "The maternity home in Reay Road is in a shambles. No deliveries are conducted there. Also, the one at Charni Road is barely functioning. Of a total of 150 posts in these set-ups, thirty have not been filled for the past two years," said Narkar.
Employees in the public health department who work on the field should be provided with towels, soaps and gumboots to ensure their hygiene. Also, workers in the TB hospital should be given adequate number of N-95 masks. These demands have been long pending and their non-fulfillment led the workers to agitate.
Office instructions on Whatsapp
The staff members of the civic body's health department who were protesting included class two, three and four employees. The staff is miffed at official instructions pertaining to work being sent to them on 'Whatsapp' for execution. "Senior officials often Whatsapp instructions to execute official assignments. Our mobile phones are for personal use. The officials these days refrain from written communication. This is not acceptable," said Shailendra Khanvilkar, member, MMU.
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