With the paramedical staff of its five hospitals threatening to go on strike from Tuesday, the Delhi government today termed their agitation illegal and invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act against it.

"The paramedical staff of GB Pant Hospital, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, Guru Nanak Eye Centre and Maulana Azad Dental Hospital will not be allowed to go on strike," said a government official.

He said Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna's approval has been taken to invoke ESMA and declare the proposed strike as illegal in the five state-run hospitals.

On November 27, health services in these hospitals were affected as the nurses, Group C and D employees had called the strike under the banner of the Joint Action Committee to press their demand for new appointments of paramedical staff in these hospitals besides regularisation of the services of temporary staff.

The out-patient department, pharmacy and other medical laboratory services including X-ray and ECG remained suspended as 5,000 paramedical staff refused to join duty to press their demand.

The committee has been alleging that while approximately 5,000 posts of nurses and other paramedical employees have been lying vacant for several years in these hospitals, there has been no move to fill up these vacancies.

The committee also demanded that fresh assessment, as per the norms, be made for any new recruitment in these hospitals.