Stalemate continues as 108 ambulance staff accuse GVK EMRI of mismanagement, threaten hunger strike

The ongoing work stoppage and protest by employees of the 108 Mritunjay Ambulance Service entered its 27th day on Saturday, December 27 with hundreds of staff members continuing their sit-in demonstration at Chachal in Guwahati.

On Friday, representatives of the agitating employees held discussions with the Managing Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Assam, Dr Lakshmanan S, during which they levelled serious allegations of corruption, harassment and mismanagement against GVK EMRI, the private agency operating the 108 ambulance service in the state.

According to the protesting employees, the meeting did not yield any immediate decision from the NHM. However, Dr Lakshmanan reportedly assured the delegation that the concerns raised would be placed before the state government for further consideration and appropriate action.

A major demand of the protestors includes the reinstatement of over a thousand 108 ambulance workers who were allegedly terminated from service over the past few months. The employees have termed the terminations arbitrary and unjust, claiming they have severely affected both livelihoods and emergency healthcare delivery.

Escalating their agitation, the protesting staff warned that failure by the government to respond decisively within the next two days would compel nearly 3,000 employees of the 108 ambulance service to begin an indefinite hunger strike at the protest site in Chachal.

The prolonged agitation has raised concerns over the impact on emergency medical services across Assam, even as negotiations between the employees and authorities remain inconclusive.