Patients suffer as nurses go on mass leave in medical colleges

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

Threatening an indefinite strike from tomorrow, the nursing staff members of medical colleges in Karnal, Sonepat, Faridabad and the PGIMS, Rohtak, went on a day-long mass casual leave to press for upgrade of their cadre, leaving the patients and their attendants districtressed. The hospitals refused to admit new patients and surgeries had to be cancelled.

They are demanding an upgrade of their cadre from Group C to Group B and an increase in their nursing allowance from Rs 1,200 to Rs 7,200. At the Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat’s Khanpur, 275 nurses, on mass casual leave today, threatened an indefinite strike from tomorrow if their demands are not met.

Sources in the hospital said the Heads of the Departments were refusing admission to new patients in view of the ongoing strike by the nursing staff. “The workload of the 120 interns, PG students and final-year students has been increased to manage the affairs,” a doctor said.

A majority of an odd 120 employees of the Nursing Department of the state government-owned Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Hospital at Chhainsa village in Faridabad remained on strike in response to a call by the Government Hospitals Nurses Association. Ramphal Lambora, president of the local unit of the Nurses Association, said all nurses, including 19 male nursing officials, remained on strike. He said the staff of the medical college and hospital were upset over the delay in acceptance of their demands on the pattern of the facilities given to the nursing staff of other government hospitals such as the AIIMS, Delhi.

Dr BM Vashisht, Director of the Medical College, said alternative measures were being taken to tackle the problem.

Vikas Phogat, president, PGIMS Nurses Association, claimed all nurses remained on strike. “The situation will deteriorate further as we are going on indefinite strike from tomorrow if our demands are not met,” he said.