Hundreds stranded as nurses block Patiala-Bathinda road

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 15

Contractual nurses, ancillary staff and Class IV employees of the Government Rajindra Hospital, who have been protesting from February 5 for regularisation of their services, blocked the Patiala-Bathinda Highway for an hour today. 

After carrying out a protest march from the Government Rajindra Hospital to the Fountain Chowk, protesters staged a sit-in outside the hospital and blocked the highway in the morning. The blockade left hundreds of commuters stranded. The protesters raised slogans against the state government. 

In fact, protesters even locked the Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) and operation theatre (OT), causing harassment to hundreds of patients, who visited the hospital.

Following the blockade, the administration rushed to the spot to convince the protesters. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) Kesar Singh asked the protesters to call off the dharna.

After an assurance of expediting their regularisation process by senior officials, protesters called off their dharna. However, nurses continued their protest atop the Medical Superintendent’s building. Besides, nurses have extended their ultimatum to intensify the stir by February 18. However, senior health officials said the matter was already been taken up at the highest level.

The Contractual Nurses and Ancillary Staff Union chairperson, Sandeep Kaur Barnala said, “Health Minister has assured that he has forwarded our regularisation file to the Finance Department. However, many days have passed, but no one has got in touch with us from the state Finance Department.”