Drivers and nurses affiliated to Kerala state 108 ambulance employees union - CITU are on a strike citing delay in payment of monthly wages. Around 1200 staff associated with 324 vehicles across the state are taking part in the strike. As part of the strike, the staff have decided not to respond to calls for IFT ( inter-facility transfer); shifting of patients requiring specialised care from one hospital to another. However calls for emergency services like accidents and calls from houses at times of medical emergencies are being responded to, staff said.

The representatives of the union said that erratic payment of salary adversely affects the lives of staff. "This has been going on for five years. They would pay us for four months and then payment would be defaulted. We issued a notice regarding the strike on July 11 and there was no response from the company representatives,'' said Rajice V R, General Secretary of the employees union. 

Company sources hinted that they got dues running into crores  pending from the centre. '' The scheme works on proportionate share from the centre and the state. The dues have piled up. Once we get the due share, the problem can be solved. NHM(National health mission) dues in the past financial year is around Rs 20 crore. This year also we are awaiting funds from the NHM. As for state share, it is being processed,'' said a company source.

The union members said that such an argument does not hold ground. ''You avail the service and when we ask for pay, they talk about dues from the government. The stand that salary can be paid only after getting the share from the government is not reasonable,'' said Rajeev. 

EMRI Green Health services, a company that specialises in emergency management services runs 108 ambulance service in the state. Onmanorama has reached out for an official comment and is awaiting response.