Miri Piri Hospital employees strike over unpaid salaries
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Haryana unit has strongly criticised a faction of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) for disrupting the operations of Miri Piri Hospital in Kurukshetra. The criticism comes a day after hospital staff went on strike to protest unpaid salaries for three months.
SAD Haryana president Harkesh Singh Mohri visited the hospital on Saturday and met with striking employees. The workers, organised under the Miri Piri Karamchari Sangharsh Samiti, submitted a memorandum to Mohri. He assured them he would raise the matter with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami.
Mohri blames HSGMC leaders for crisis
Mohri stated that employees have been waiting for their salaries for three months and were forced to hold a dharna due to the wrong decisions of some HSGMC leaders. He alleged that the same faction is also hindering the functioning of HSGMC by blocking the passage of its budget.
“The HSGMC leaders were well aware that the Haryana committee lacks adequate budget to fund the hospital, yet they attempted to take over its possession,” Mohri said. He added that after a Punjab and Haryana High Court order, the committee claimed it would bear all expenses and take over the facility, but never followed through. “Due to their vested interests, they have disturbed the smooth functioning of the hospital and the committee,” he said.
Hospital faces closure threat
Mohri warned that if the situation does not improve, the hospital may close soon. “While the Sikh community has been running welfare services everywhere, the employees of its own healthcare facility are finding it hard to run their homes due to the infighting of some leaders. People have already started resigning due to the uncertainty and pending salaries,” he said. He pledged to request SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to discuss the issue with SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami to support the hospital and clear the salaries.
HSGMC president appeals for calm
HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda acknowledged the crisis, saying, “Miri Piri Hospital is a major healthcare facility run by the Sikh community, and due to the current situation, a wrong message is going among the people.” He urged the SGPC to provide salaries until the hospital is formally taken over by HSGMC. “We will soon hold a meeting with the SGPC president in this regard. We appeal to the employees to resume their services so that patients don’t face any inconvenience,” he added.
