Murali wants ESMA invoked to stop ambulance workers strike

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has written to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala for invoking the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prevent strikes that “disrupt” the functioning of 108 ambulance services in the State.

The Health department move comes in the wake of the ambulance workers’ union announcing a 24-hour strike from September 17.

The government had decided to take stringent action as protests every now and then by various organisations were putting patients to hardship, a statement quoting Mr. Muraleedharan said on Saturday.

In the letter, Mr. Muraleedharan has sought steps to prevent strikes and ensure smooth operation of ambulance services.

The Kerala State 108 Ambulance Employees Union has announced the strike from 8 a.m. on September 17 to 8 a.m. on September 18 in connection with a dispute over bonuses for the 2025-26 year.

The round-the-clock 108 ambulance service is an important component of the emergency health system in the State. It plays a critical role in transporting people involved in accidents, those with serious illnesses, and those in emergency child birth situations to hospital. With ambulance services disrupted owing to the strike, patients will experience difficulties and any delay in treatment could be life threatening. This was the reason why the Health department was treating the matter as more than a labour dispute, the statement said.

Meanwhile, EMRI-GHS has directed ambulance services to stop refusing or boycotting any trips, including inter-facility transfer trips. Even after formal appeal letters and show-cause letters, some personnel were denying trips. This was severely affecting the State’s critical emergency transport network. Administrative grievances or labour disputes should not be weaponised to paralyse emergency health care, an EMRI-GHS communication to the staff said.