Siliguri, 24th June: Employees working at municipal health centres under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) have begun an indefinite work boycott over their long-pending demand for a salary hike, disrupting several government healthcare services across the Siliguri subdivision.
The workers alleged that despite the announcement of the new budget, no decision has been taken regarding an increase in their salaries, leading to growing dissatisfaction among employees.
As part of their protest, the workers staged a demonstration outside the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer on Wednesday. The strike also led to the suspension of regular services at several health centres.
The disruption has caused significant inconvenience to members of the public, particularly families visiting health centres for child vaccination and primary healthcare services. Many people were reportedly forced to return without receiving treatment or scheduled services.
One parent alleged that upon arriving at a health centre for a child’s vaccination, they found the facility closed and later learned through a notice that services had been suspended due to the work boycott.
Representatives of the workers stated that they had repeatedly raised the issue of salary revision over a long period, but the absence of any positive response had compelled them to launch the agitation.
The employees have indicated that the protest will continue until concrete steps are taken to address their demands.