Two nurses arrested as strike hits hospitals, patients hard

Two nurses were arrested as hospital services in the national capital remained paralysed on the second day of the nationwide indefinite strike by nurses on Saturday, even as the Centre and the nursing federation held talks to seek a way out of the crisis.

Delhi chief secretary K.K. Sharma held a meeting with principal secretary (home), commissioner of police and health department officials to take stock of the situation. “The chief secretary was informed that two members of the nurses’ union have been arrested,” Delhi government said in a statement, quoting a press release by the city’s health department. Soon after the strike began on Friday, Delhi government had invoked the stringent Esma declaring the stir as illegal.

Delhi seems to have been hit the hardest by the stir as patients suffered in the absence of adequate staff at hospitals, which are managing with contractual nurses and interns. The strike has been called by the All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF) and supported by the Delhi Nurses Federation seeking redressal of issues related to pay and allowances.

“We are having talks with the government at the moment. Members of the nursing federations are currently discussing the issue with the joint secretary at Nirman Bhavan, after talks with the nursing advisor earlier in the day,” AIGNF spokesperson Liladhar Ramchandani said.

The agitation has come at a time when Delhi and several other cities are battling rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. Several routine operations in hospitals have been cancelled, scheduled surgeries postponed, OPD timings curtailed and emergency services affected.

During the meeting, medical superintends of hospitals reported that there is an increased rush of patients in fever clinics and the OPDs, on account of the upsurge in dengue and chikunguniya cases. The city government in a statement said the health department has issued a “public notice” asking striking staff to resume duty “immediately”.

Mr Sharma was also informed about the shortage of nursing staff at city hospitals. “Major hospitals are having only one-third of the staff strength. The situation has become critical on account of the strike,” it said.

Government hospitals in Delhi, including those run by the Centre, the city government or civic bodies employ about 20,000 nurses. “The names of absentee nurses are being taken and FIRs would be lodged against them if they fail to report for duty. Action will be taken against them,” the statement said.