Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan has warned Kaniv-108 ambulance drivers and employees against proceeding with a statewide strike over wage demands, saying disruptions to the emergency service cannot be allowed to put patients’ lives at risk.
The employees have announced industrial action over their pay-related demands. The Kaniv-108 service caters to people requiring urgent medical assistance, including patients in critical distress.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Muraleedharan said the government had already intervened after employees previously issued a strike notice and had reached an agreement with them. He said the workforce had continued to raise demands after that understanding was reached.
“Under no circumstances can a strike be allowed in this field, because these are patients,” the minister said, adding that the government had a responsibility to protect people using the 108 ambulance service.
Muraleedharan also clarified that the ambulance personnel are not government employees. According to him, they were appointed by the agency that received the contract to operate the 108 service, meaning there is no direct employer-employee relationship between the state government and the workers.
Despite this contractual arrangement, the minister said he had intervened earlier and issued strict directions to the management. He invited the employees to meet him to discuss their concerns but opposed attempts to press demands through threats of disruption.
The dispute highlights the operational responsibility created when essential emergency services are delivered through contracted agencies. While the state does not directly employ the ambulance personnel, any interruption to the service would affect patients who depend on government-supported emergency transport.
The minister did not announce a new settlement or specify a date for the proposed strike. The immediate next step remains engagement between the employees, the operating agency and the state government to address the wage demands while maintaining uninterrupted ambulance operations.
