Essential services disrupted in Kalaburagi

Services in the out-patient department of the Government District Hospital in Kalaburagi remained affected on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

The strike by government employees in support of their demands, including wage revision and implementation of old pension scheme, disrupted essential services in Kalaburagi on Wednesday.

After the government employees organisations leadership withdrew the strike, the employees in Kalaburagi called off the agitation but did not report to duty in many offices.

Many people who, unaware of the strikem came to the offices of the Minor Irrigation Department, City Municipal Corporation, Tahsildars and Horticulture Department had to suffer as officers and staff were on agitation.

The out-patient department in the district hospital, which is usually heavily crowded on any normal day, did not function for the first half of the day, forcing patients to go to private healthcare providers.

However, doctors in Intensive Care Units, casualty, accident and emergency section and maternity and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) worked wearing black badges as a token of protest. Many patients were found airing anger before media persons against the striking health staff.

The other major offices in the district administrative complex which always see a rush on all working days with people transacting their business wore a deserted look as most of the employees had joined the agitation.

Upon learning about the withdrawal of the strike by employees after the assurances of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, people were found waiting in many offices hoping that the employees will return to work afternoon. However, the employees did not return to work in most of the offices forcing the people to go back without getting their work done.