Goa: AAP's Pratima Coutinho threatens to go on hunder strike if healthcare workers' demands not met

Criticising Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led Goa government for failing to prioritize the COVID-19 warriors when providing jobs, Aam Aadmi Party's Pratima Coutinho on Monday threatened to go on hunger strike with 50 MTS staff members if their demands are not met within a week.

"In the midst of the pandemic, when nobody was willing to take a risk, 50 MTS staff from South Goa joined the South District COVID-19 Care health centre. Impressed by their efforts, the Sawant government had vowed to take action in prioritizing these MTS staff in the recruitment process", Coutinho said according to a statement by the AAP.

She added, "Even though the government recognized their work and felicitated them as COVID-19 warriors, they were removed from their jobs. Approximately 50 MTS staff risking their lives did their job wholeheartedly. They used to earn around 20,000 a month and their families relied on this income to survive. They used to come from Navelim, Balli, Ponda, Nuve, Margao and other parts of South Goa."

According to Coutinho, the BJP government, fueled by bribery and corruption, is not concerned for this staff who risked their lives during the pandemic. "They have assisted patients, changed diapers, cleaned dead bodies, and so on. They rented a separate house because the villagers were scared to let them live there", she said.

"When these MTS staff tried to talk to CM Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane about this issue, they were given deaf ears", she added.

She appealed to CM Pramod Sawant and Minister Vishwajeet Rane to prioritise COVID-19 warriors in providing jobs. She said, "If CM does not take an action within a week, then we will go on hunger strike outside of South District COVID-19 Care health centre".

( With inputs from ANI )