Security a casualty at Sassoon hospital

97 security personnel not paid for 3 months; hospital says their work not up to mark

If you walk into the wards of Sassoon General Hospital, you will notice few security guards. The reason: most of them are fed up with the hospital for not releasing their payments on time and thus remain absent.

Security guards said the hospital had not released their salary for November and their overtime payment for October. Ever since the Pune Zilla Suraksha Rakshak Mandal was asked to provide security for the hospital they were rarely paid their salaries before the 15th of every month.

A guard deployed at the casualty ward said: "Every night there is a law and order situation, as patients' relatives try to pressurise doctors. As the hospital is not releasing our payments on time only two of us are on duty instead of four."

Another guard said: "We get Rs, 4,000 as remuneration. We have to spend Rs 1,500 every month for bus pass and with the remaining amount we have to take care of our children's education. It is difficult for us to pull on."

The Pune Zilla Suraksha Rakshak Mandal which works under additional Labour Commissioner had taken up this issue several times with the hospital authorities but they have not dealt with it seriously.

"The dean of the hospital was absent for three consecutive meetings which were called in to discuss the issue.
They consider us as any private organisation but just like them we work under the state government," said an inspector working with the Pune Zilla Suraksha Rakshak Mandal.

Sassoon Hospital Dean Dr Arun Jamkar he said: "All the dues have been released except for overtime. In overtime payments we noticed that it was much higher than their salaries also. Besides we are not happy with their work."

Some security guards said that officials in charge of releasing salaries were expecting bribes in return. Reacting to the allegations, Dr Jamkar said: "This issue has not been brought to my notice."
(Inputs from Alifiya Khan)