Visakhapatnam: Port and Dock workers have launched a relay hunger strike in protest against the proposed upgrade of the Port Golden Jubilee Hospital under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The protest, organized under the banner of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), aims to challenge what workers are calling the "privatization" of a crucial healthcare facility.

The strike began on Tuesday, October 1, with CITU State General Secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao and Honorary President V.S. Padmanabha Raju inaugurating the relay hunger camp. Workers argue that shifting control of the hospital to private investors could jeopardize the health and medical care of approximately 35,000 individuals who rely on its services.

The hospital, established decades ago, currently operates with 80 beds, serving not only port and dock workers but also employees, family pensioners, casual laborers, pool khalasis, and CISF personnel. The workers have been agitating for months, stressing that the facility's vital role in providing healthcare would be compromised under the PPP model.

By resisting this move, the workers hope to ensure that the hospital remains a reliable, public healthcare institution that caters to the needs of the local community without placing it in the hands of private investors.

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