Kozhikode: A year after the Nipah virus outbreak, the sanitary workers on contract in the Kozhikode Medical College have started a hunger strike, seeking permanent jobs. Risking their lives, they worked in the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, Kerala for 24 hours. They were the only ones who were cleaning and carrying out water management in the hospital. They were also called as Nipah heroes. 

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The Nipah virus had taken away 18 lives in Kozhikode.  Nipah virus had sent Keralites into a panic situation for a few months.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government had promised the hospital contract workers a permanent job in the medical college for their determination to their work. However, the promise of the state government is still in the papers. Moreover, these staffs were removed from their work and they had to protest on the streets for justice. 

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Earlier, the 42 personnel performed a hunger strike over their removal from their post and the government convinced them that they would be given their positions again in the hospital. But as the government failed to keep their promise, the workers restarted their hunger strike from Monday.

The hospital authorities have prepared three lists as directed by the state government. In the list, over 450 workers were also named. But the staffs who had risked their lives in shifting the bodies of the Nipah victims and who nursed the Nipah affected people were not included in the list.

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