By Express News Service

PUDUCHERRY: A total of 54 employees of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI), as exclusive COVID-19 hospital, has been terminated from service for dereliction of duty on the orders of District Magistrate T Arun. Four COVID-19 infected patients and 21 suspected people are admitted in the hospital.

These employees working in skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled capacity, who were serving on contract basis, had resorted to dharna by striking work on March 31 demanding enhancement of wages, provision of leave including maternity with wages, payment of bonus and insurance after the IGMCRI was declared as exclusive COVID-19 hospital.

They followed it up with a mass leave on April 2, stating that they are now having to work in risky circumstances for very low wages of Rs 3500, Rs 5500 and Rs 6500, without any clarity on insurance cover.

This had put the hospital management in a fix in combating COVID-19. IGMCRI Dean Dr CH Shashindran had submitted a report stating that 54 people have been found absent on April 2, disrupting emergency services at the COVID Hospital and interrupting other officials also in discharging their duty. Based on this, the District Magistrate issued the order .

He stated that the act shows dereliction of duty and also amounts to negligence on the part of the officials in controlling the pandemic. "The 54 officials are on contract basis and the institution reserves the right to terminate the engagement without any notice as per the contract agreement," he said adding that "All the officials who were found absent on duty on April 2, 2020 shall be removed fronm service immediately in the larger interest of the public and thus ensuring the smooth functioning of the COVID Hospital".