Bathinda civil hospital paralysed as staff protest 4-year-old demands
Synopsis
Bathinda civil hospital staff have been waiting over four years for salary hikes, equal pay, and regularisation — promises made when AAP came to power in Punjab in 2022. With health services paralysed and protesters warning of an intensified agitation, the standoff puts Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's healthcare credibility directly on the line.
Key Takeaways
Bathinda civil hospital services were paralysed on 26 August as medics, pharmacists, and clinical assistants staged a protest.
Staff demand equal pay for equal work , a remuneration hike , gratuity , and immediate regularisation of temporary employees.
Protester Ranjeet Kaur said she has worked at the hospital for 18 years without her demands being met.
NHM employee Avnish Kumar cited five to seven major demands pending since the AAP government came to power in 2022 .
Protesters also demanded closure of Aam Aadmi Clinics in Bathinda district, citing lack of basic facilities.
Staff warned the agitation will intensify if the government does not act promptly.
Health services at the Bathinda civil hospital ground to a halt on Wednesday, 26 August as an employee union comprising medics, pharmacists, and clinical assistants staged a protest outside the hospital premises, demanding salary hikes, regularisation of temporary staff, and equal pay for equal work — grievances that protesters say have remained unaddressed for over four years.
Key Demands
The protesting staff outlined a cluster of long-pending issues: equal pay for equal work, a remuneration hike, gratuity, and the immediate regularisation of temporary employees. National Health Mission (NHM) employee Avnish Kumar said the union has between five and seven major demands that have been pending for years. 'When Bhagwant Mann's Aam Aadmi Party government came to power in Punjab in 2022, a promise was made to regularise temporary employees, but this has not happened yet,' he said.
Voices From the Protest
Protester Ranjeet Kaur, who has worked at the hospital for 18 years, said none of their demands have been met. 'If our demands are not fulfilled, we will take to the streets,' she warned. She added that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had verbally assured the staff their demands would be addressed, but despite four and a half years passing, no concrete action has followed. Other employees echoed similar frustrations, stating that promises of equal pay and regularisation of unskilled staff remain unimplemented.
Aam Aadmi Clinics Under Fire
The protesters also backed a call to shut down Aam Aadmi Clinics in Bathinda district, alleging that these facilities lack basic infrastructure and equipment. Staff working at these clinics corroborated the claim, noting the clinics have been set up on the city's outskirts without adequate support systems in place. The criticism adds a fresh dimension to the ongoing debate over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's flagship healthcare initiative in Punjab.
Escalation Warning
Protesters warned that if the state government does not act promptly, the agitation will intensify. Employees from multiple departments of the civil hospital — including unskilled staff — participated in Wednesday's demonstration. This comes amid broader discontent among contractual and temporary health workers across several Indian states, where regularisation has remained a contentious and unresolved issue. The Bathinda protest is the latest signal that Punjab's health sector workforce is running out of patience.
Point of View
Contractual health workers have been used as a cost-containment tool, with regularisation promises serving as election-cycle currency. The AAP government in Punjab rode to power in 2022 partly on the promise of dignified public employment; four years on, the same workers are protesting outside the hospitals they staff. The Aam Aadmi Clinics criticism is particularly pointed: if the flagship healthcare initiative lacks basic infrastructure, the optics of expanding it while ignoring staff demands becomes politically untenable. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's verbal assurances, cited by multiple protesters, now represent a credibility liability.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Bathinda civil hospital staff protesting?
Staff are protesting over demands pending for over four years, including equal pay for equal work, a salary hike, gratuity, and regularisation of temporary employees. The protest on 26 August paralysed health services at the hospital.
What did the AAP government promise health workers in 2022?
When the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Punjab in 2022, it reportedly promised to regularise temporary employees and ensure equal pay for equal work. Protesters say neither commitment has been fulfilled as of August 2025.
What is the demand regarding Aam Aadmi Clinics in Bathinda?
Protesters are calling for the shutdown of Aam Aadmi Clinics in Bathinda district, alleging the clinics lack basic facilities and infrastructure. Staff working at these clinics confirmed the shortage of adequate support systems.
Who are the workers involved in the protest?
The protest involves a broad coalition of civil hospital employees including medics, pharmacists, clinical assistants, NHM workers, and unskilled staff from multiple departments of the Bathinda civil hospital.
What happens if the government does not respond?
Protesters have warned that the agitation will intensify if the Punjab government does not act promptly on their demands. Protester Ranjeet Kaur specifically threatened to 'take to the streets' if the grievances remain unaddressed.
