PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The members of the Medical Lab Technologists Association of Uttarakhand organised a protest march towards the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday over their unfulfilled longstanding demands. On the day, hundreds of lab technicians marching from Gandhi Park to the CM residence as part of their Akrosh rally were stopped midway by the police and the administration. The protesters were detained and later released by the Police.
The protesters alleged that the police administration deployed a heavy posse of the policemen with batons to prevent them from moving forward, leading to a scuffle. They also claimed that many of their fellow members were injured during the scuffle with the police.
Protesters further alleged that police dragged several protesters into police vehicles. They also alleged that female lab technicians were also forcibly detained and forced into vehicles carrying prisoners. In this movement, along with medical lab technicians, various cadres of allied health sciences including radiology technicians, optometrists, physiotherapists, OT technicians and other health professionals also registered their presence and supported the movement.
They also informed that even years after the formation of the state of Uttarakhand, degree-holding medical lab technicians continue to be neglected.
The association warned that its patience is now running out. If the government does not take a positive decision on their four point demands soon, the movement will be expanded and made decisive. Major steps will be taken in the coming days, for which the government and administration will be solely responsible.
Notably, their key demands include that posts of degree-holder medical lab technicians should be created as per Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms. A regular and transparent recruitment process should be started by preparing the service rules of the Medical Lab Technician cadre on the basis of year-wise merit. The demands also include one-time age relaxation for candidates who have crossed the age limit due to delay in recruitment and that privatisation and outsourcing of lab services of government hospitals should be stopped immediately.
Pertinently, the members of the association have been staging a peaceful sit-in at the Ekta Vihar protest site for the past 74 days over demands.
