Jharkhand’s 108 ambulance workers have announced an indefinite statewide strike from October 21, raising the prospect of ambulances being taken off the road across the state after talks with the health department failed to resolve disputes over wages, labour benefits and operational control.
More than 2,000 workers associated with the emergency ambulance service announced the proposed strike after staging a daylong sit-in outside the National Health Mission office on Friday. The protest was part of a phased agitation by employees seeking payment of pending salaries, benefits under labour laws and the operation of ambulances in every district by the respective civil surgeons.
Neeraj Tiwari, president of the Jharkhand Pradesh Ambulance Karmachari Sangh, said the health department had agreed to only one of the workers’ three demands: the reinstatement of around 20 employees suspended after raising the issues. He said no consensus had been reached on the remaining demands.
“We are therefore compelled to begin an indefinite strike and ground all ambulances across the state from Oct 21,” Tiwari said. He also claimed that workers had not received their salaries since July and had received no concrete assurance from the health minister.
Health minister Irfan Ansari disputed part of the workers’ account, saying the 20 employees had already been reinstated. On the wage issue, Ansari said the outsourcing agency had claimed that salaries had been paid. He directed department officials to verify the matter, according to the report.
The dispute also concerns who should manage ambulance operations. The workers have demanded that ambulances be operated by civil surgeons in each district, but Ansari ruled out that arrangement. He said the department would soon engage a new outsourcing agency to manage the ambulance service across Jharkhand.
The proposed action places the state’s emergency transport network at the centre of a dispute involving outsourced healthcare operations, delayed wage claims and administrative responsibility. The 108 service is intended to provide emergency ambulance access, making the availability of vehicles and crews relevant to patients who rely on public health infrastructure for transport during medical emergencies.
The department’s stated response is to verify the wage position and proceed with appointing a new outsourcing agency. The workers’ union, however, has said it will begin an indefinite strike on October 21 unless the unresolved demands are addressed. The health department’s verification of salary payments and its next steps on the outsourcing contract will determine how the dispute develops before the proposed strike date.
