Journalism of Courage
Health services have been badly affected at the Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) centre at B J Medical College and 44 Integrated Counselling and Treatment Centres (ICTCs) owing to a week-long strike by the staff under the aegis of the Maharashtra Rajya AIDS Karyakari Sanghatana. Over 100 contract employees have decided to intensify the agitation and take out a protest march on December 15.
Sandesh Thorat,president of the Pune district unit of the federation,said that the staffs primary demand was that they should be made permanent. The Pune unit has joined the state-wide stir since December 1 and has decided to go on an indefinite strike till their demands are met with. The protest march will be taken out during the winter session of the state assembly at Nagpur.
Dr B B Kadam,head of the ART centre admitted that work had been affected. We are not doing the CD4 count test and hence cannot enroll new patients of HIV and put them on anti retroviral treatment, he said. In Pune district,a total of 110 people under the federations banner are on strike at 44 ICTCs and ART centres.
A total of 48 counsellors,44 technicians and other staff members are included in the strike.
