The strike of 367 contractual nurses at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) from Thursday midnight on fulfilling their pending demands is likely to affect the day to day services here. Concerned authorities have decided to continue the work with nursing students, regularized and district nurses.
“We would make a last effort to hold conversation with the contractual nurses in the evening. Health Minister Rajendra Prasad is expected to accompany us. In case, they do not call off the strike, we will carry on the medical services with our regularized and student nurses. Also, the district nurses will be deployed,” RIMS Director SK Chaudhary said.
Notably, the nurses have been assured to be regularized several times but no action was taken. “Since 2006, we are waiting for our regularization. Thereafter, we had been on strike for the same reason. Unfortunately, we called off the strike when health officials assured to implement our demands. Hopefully, some concrete decisions are done if our demands are discussed in the upcoming Cabinet meeting as assured by state health officers,” RIMS Contractual Nurses Association president Ramrekha Rai said.
She further pointed out, “We had already written an application to the Director on July 11 that we will protest for our demands by wearing black ribbons on July 21, protest within the hospital on July 22 and 23 and hold a rally on July 24. If they do not agree to the demands, we will be on strike and not work from July 24 midnight onwards.”
Besides regularization, the demands also include grade pay of Rs 4600 like neighbouring states, stop the re-contractual deployment of retired RIMS employees and offer appointment letters to 367 contractual nurses as per the decision taken in 29th Board Council meeting held on February 2012.
According to sources, Secretary to Health Minister Wilson Bhengra had met these association members on Sunday and assured to address the grievances at the earliest.
“I will try to meet the nurses before midnight and convince them to call off the strike,” Health Minister Rajendra Prasad said.