Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, shuts gynaecology Emergency

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 15

After regular nursing staff went on strike today, the Government Rajindra Hospital had to reportedly stop admitting patients with gynaecological emergencies. Notably, the Gynaecology Department is the one that on nursing staff depends more than others.

In the wake of the strike, the authorities have already conveyed to nearby government hospitals not to refer patients to Rajindra Hospital.

Confirming the development, Dr HS Rekhi, Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, said, “The entire nursing staff has gone on a strike following which we had to close the gynaecology Emergency. In the absence of nursing staff, it is unlikely that we will be able to run the gynaecological Emergency.”

The situation is said to have turned more grim after nursing students and contractual staff joined the striking nurses in the afternoon.

To mark their protest, the protesting employees also blocked the Chandigarh-Bathinda national highway outside the hospital for half an hour. The nurses have been demanding that their pay scale should be increased from current Rs3,200 to Rs4,600. Besides, they (the protesting staff) are asking that their designation should be changed from nursing staff to nursing officer. They have also been demanding that they should be included in Grade B instead of Grade C as per the Sixth Pay Commission of Punjab.

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