Monday, July 16, 2012

Contractual nurses’ strike affects services in hospitals


BHUBANESWAR: Contractual nurses’ strike demanding regularisation of services and hike in salary entered in second day on Monday. The services in Government hospitals across the State reportedly affected due to absence of the nurses. The nurses decided to sit in indefinite dharna in front of the State Assembly from Tuesday.

Members of the All Odisha Contractual Nurses Association (AOCNA) ceased work from Sunday throughout the State and sat in dharna before the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur, the VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla and other Government-run hospitals, protesting Government inaction over their demands.
 
Due to strike by near about 2,000 nurses working in the three medical college hospitals and other Government hospitals, services in hospitals were badly affected. The hospital authorities tried to somehow manage work engaging nursing students as an alternative.
“We need salary at par with the Central scale, regularisation of our service and repealing of the contractual system in nursing,” said AOCNA secretary Shivani Das, adding, “The dharna will continue till our demands are fulfilled.”

Contractual nurses from all over the State would converge in the State capital on July 17 and sit on dharna in front of the State Secretariat. If this attempt failed to impress the Government authorities, the nurses would be forced to gherao the Health Minister and the Chief Minister’s residences, they threatened.

However, Health and Family Welfare Minister Prasanna Acharya said the State Government is aware about the demands of the contractual nurses. “On salary difference, we have already referred the file to the State Finance Department. To fill up regular nurse post also, we will move Finance Department,” Acharya said.     

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