Health services hit as nurses go on mass leave

Nurses under the banner of the All-India Government Nurses Federation protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: Bunny Smith)

Health services in several government hospitals were affected as section of nurses went on mass causal leave on Friday to protest against the retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and to demand higher wages, forcing rescheduling of over 120 surgeries. Senior officials said that only emergency operations were performed.

The nurses have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 15 if their demands are not met.

“We are protesting against the retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. We are demanding that the entry pay grade for staff nurses should be enhanced to Rs 5,400 from the existing Rs 4,600. Also, the nursing allowance should be enhanced by Rs 7,800. Risk allowance and night duty allowances should be given to all nurses as it is given to all other government employees,” said All-India Nurses Federation secretary-general G.K. Khurana. The nurses across the country are already on a relay hungerstrike since February 12 which will end on Saturday.

According to sources, 70 routine surgeries had to be rescheduled at Safdarjung Hospital as 25 of the 30 operation theatres had to shut down due to the strike. At Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital around 50 routine surgeries had to be rescheduled.

“Contract nurses did not work despite our requests and student nurses were not allowed to. We did not force anybody to work, but instead we roped in around 600 post-graduate, junior residents and senior residents to manage the outpatients department and emergency services. There were no law and order problems and there were no complaints from patients,” said R.M.L. Hospital medical superintendent Dr A.K. Gadpayle.

At Safdarjung Hospital, essential services such as the emergency and ICUs were being handled by the nurses, who work on contract, interns and junior and senior doctors. “70 routine surgeries had to be rescheduled as 25 out of the 30 operation theatres were shut,” said medical superintendent of the Safdarjung Hospital A.K. Rai.

Nurses in AIIMS, who had earlier agreed to be a part of the protest, called off their strike following discussions with the Union health secretary and the AIIMS administration. Members of the All-India Nurses Federation observed mass casual leave as part of their ongoing agitation for a hike in their salaries and other allowances.