Healthcare workers in district PHCs (Primary Health Centres) and CHCs (Community Health Centres) have been protesting in Gujarat's capital city Gandhinagar for the past one week over pay and other issues.

They marked the eight day of their indefinite strike at Satyargraha Chhavni on Monday.

The demands of these healthcare workers include pay scale based on technical skills, cancellation of departmental exams, and addressing concerns raised by the Gujarat Rajya Arogya Karmachari Mahasangh, led by association president Ranjitsinh Mori.

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What are their demands? 

Inclusion in the technical cadre, and regarding the current grade pay of 1900 for multipurpose health worker and female health worker cadre to be increased to 2800 grade pay, and the current grade pay of 2400 for multipurpose health supervisor, female health supervisor, and district level supervisor to be increased to 4200 grade pay, and the general for MPHW and FHW cadre.  

Complete exemption from departmental examinations of the above mentioned cadre and also for the administrative and financial issues of staff nurses (Panchayat).

The health employees had previously staged a protest against the government in Gandhinagar in September 2022. At the time, due to the upcoming assembly elections, the government had held closed-door discussions with the employees to pacify them. However, after their key demands remained unresolved even after more than two years, they have now announced a march to Gandhinagar.