*November 3, 2010* * Chennai*: Staff at the Institute of Mental Health here have threatened to go on strike, demanding shorter work shifts and better salaries. After a week of wearing black badges in protest against allegedly inhumane working conditions, around 300 class II workers gathered for a hour long protest at the asylum on Wednesday.
While all staff members — ward boys, wardens and attendants — are demanding 8-hour shifts instead of 12-hour workdays, the patient-staff ratios are awfully skewed, the workers say. “Three attendants are given responsibility for 170 unpredictable, mentally ill inmates of the IMH through the night. Even if one patient becomes violent, there is a huge commotion and it is impossible for three people to control the situation,” says S. Gopalakrishnan, head of the IMH workers union, stressing that at least six people should be deputed on night duty. During the day, two workers take care of 60 to 70 inmates of a ward and see that the patients bathe, eat and take their medication. “When someone falls ill, the hospital can only spare one ward boy to take the patients to Government General Hospital or Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and stay with him all day,” says Mr Gopalakrishnan, who has worked at the IMH for 30 years. “The hospital is short-staffed and we are forced to take on the duties of peons and office assistants as well,” he adds. Around 60 of the workers are also demanding that their salary arrears, as per the Sixth Pay Commission, be cleared immediately. The staff has threatened to escalate their strike if there is no positive reaction from the health minister and secretary. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/driven-edge-imh-staff-threaten-strike-833 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
