Tough days are ahead for the patients and their relatives as the nurses of Government hospital would go on an indefinite strike from Thursday. Following the call given by the Uttarakhand Nursing Services Association (UNSA), the Government nurses of the State were on three-day mass casual leave agitation from Monday to Wednesday. The association would now observe an indefinite strike from Thursday in support of its demands.
Meanwhile toughening its stand the State Government has implemented Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on the agitating nurses. The Principal Secretary medical health and family welfare, Om Prakash said that the services of all the nursing staff of the department have been declared essential services and they have been barred from observing strike in larger public interest. However the association remained defiant and adhered to its plan of indefinite strike in spite of implementation of ESMA. The State President of UNSA, Anjana Bhowmick said that the nurses are determined on their demands and they would not be intimidated by any pressure of State Government. The agitating nurses organised a meeting at the nurses’ quarters in Doon hospital on Wednesday. The speakers here resolved to take their agitation to the logical end.
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat on Tuesday had appealed the nurses to take back their agitation. However the talks of State Government and nurses failed to break the ice. In the meeting the State health minister reportedly agreed to accept all the demands of nurses except increase in grade pay. The nurses rejected the proposal linking the increase in grade pay with their pride.
The agitation of nurses has severely affected the health services of the State. There are 1270 nurses in the State health services. The health department has deployed medical interns, pharmacists and nursing students to minimise the effect of absence of nurses but they are not able to replace the work environment which a trained nurse provides. The relatives and caretakers of the admitted patients are forced to act as nurses and they are having a horrid time.
The UNSA is demanding an increase in the grade pay of the nurses. Their other demands are setting up a separate Nursing Directorate and increased chances of promotions to higher posts. The nurses are also asking for implementation of long pending issue of proper structure of their cadre and preparation of service manual.