PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Health minister Subodh Uniyal has assured the Medical Lab Technologists Association that the State government is reviewing the arrangements for operating laboratories contracted to private companies as an alternative and a plan is being developed to re-establish government laboratories in these locations in a phased manner. The association has been staging a protest at the designated protest site in Ekta Vihar for the past 75 days to draw attention to its demands. Recently, it also marched towards the chief minister’s residence.
The association’s general secretary Mayank Rana said that agitation has continued even after the protesters were redirected back to the Ekta Vihar protest site during their march to the CM residence. Following intervention of the authorities, a five-member delegation from the association met Uniyal. The delegation presented the four major demands of the State’s degree-holding medical lab technicians. Respecting Uniyal’s assurance, the association warned that if concrete actions—documented in writing—are not taken on all four demands within the stipulated timeframe, they will intensify and expand their movement by collaborating with allied health professionals, degree-holding medical lab technicians and students across the State.
Their key demands include the creation of posts for degree-holder medical lab technicians in accordance with IPHS standards, the initiation of a regular and transparent recruitment process by establishing service rules for the medical lab technician cadre based on year-wise merit, a one-time age relaxation for candidates who have exceeded the age limit due to delays in recruitment and an immediate halt to the privatisation and outsourcing of laboratory services in government hospitals.
