India, Feb. 20 -- Beginning Tuesday, thousands of Aarogya Mitras working under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana (MJPJAY) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) have gone on an indefinite strike as their long-standing demands including fair wages, annual salary increments, and proper leave policies have not been fulfilled, they claimed. Aarogya Mitras are the field staff supporting patients to avail treatment under these schemes.

The Aarogya Mitra Employees Union, affiliated to the Centre of Trade Union, which has gone on an indefinite strike, includes over 1,600 Aarogya Mitras with 108 in Pune district. The MJPJAY and PMJAY schemes are currently available in 1,695 hospitals (both private and public) in the state, and ...