India, Aug. 7 -- Hundreds of non-teaching staff at Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital have gone on an indefinite strike from Tuesday, demanding the release of salaries pending for the past eight months. The protestors include Class III and Class IV workers who have split into two groups and demonstrating on alternate days to ensure that patient services are not disrupted. The hospital authorities have claimed that healthcare services remain unaffected.

The protesting staff expressed frustration over the long delay in payments and said they were left with no option but to stage strike. "We have families to feed and bills to pay. Eight months without pay is inhuman," said one of the security staff on protest.

Navale ...