📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Mouryan
Health
ESI Hospital Staff in Amritsar Strike Over Two-Month Unpaid Wages
✍️ Amar Ujala · Amritsar
🗓 20 Aug 2026, 06:48 PM
👁 2
Medical personnel at the ESI Hospital in Amritsar have halted services after not receiving salaries for two months, demanding prompt payment.
The Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Hospital in Amritsar has witnessed a work stoppage as doctors, nurses and support staff walked out in protest over unpaid salaries for the past two months. Hospital administration confirmed that the wage arrears stem from delayed fund transfers from the state health department, leaving the staff without their regular pay.
Union representatives of the hospital workforce met with senior officials on Tuesday, urging immediate clearance of the pending dues. They warned that continued non-payment could disrupt essential medical services for the city's residents, especially those dependent on subsidised care provided by the ESI network.
The health department has acknowledged the issue and said a review is underway to expedite the release of funds. Meanwhile, the hospital has arranged limited emergency services to ensure critical patients receive care, while routine outpatient and elective procedures remain suspended.
Local authorities have appealed to both the state government and the ESI corporation to resolve the financial bottleneck swiftly, emphasizing that prolonged strikes could exacerbate healthcare access problems in Punjab's second‑largest city.
Union representatives of the hospital workforce met with senior officials on Tuesday, urging immediate clearance of the pending dues. They warned that continued non-payment could disrupt essential medical services for the city's residents, especially those dependent on subsidised care provided by the ESI network.
The health department has acknowledged the issue and said a review is underway to expedite the release of funds. Meanwhile, the hospital has arranged limited emergency services to ensure critical patients receive care, while routine outpatient and elective procedures remain suspended.
Local authorities have appealed to both the state government and the ESI corporation to resolve the financial bottleneck swiftly, emphasizing that prolonged strikes could exacerbate healthcare access problems in Punjab's second‑largest city.