The Statewide strike of the Government staff nurses entered its second day on Monday. The agitated staff nurses stressed that they will withdraw their agitation only after their year long pending demands are fulfilled by the State Government.
Meanwhile, patients in the Government hospitals were among the worst sufferers in the absence of the trained and experienced staff nurses in the community health centres, primary health centres and health centres in all the 13 districts of Uttarakhand.
The agitating Government staff nurses gathered at Doon Hospital under the banner of Uttarakhand Nurses Service Association (UNSA) and shouted anti department slogans on Monday. They lamented that the even though memorandums highlighting their demands were submitted many times to top bureaucrats and State Health Minister, the authorities have remained apathetic.
Since the staff nurses have been protesting for more than a week, they have decided to work in the afternoon instead of morning and night hours. They agitated staff nurses have decided to include Doon Group of Hospitals from Thursday onwards and boycott the morning and night shift duties.
Meanwhile, all patients who are admitted in different wards of the Government hospitals across the State faced a very tough time as their medical care is not being properly taken by the para medical interns. Well established sources revealed that the patients have stopped coming to the government hospitals for treatment as the Government staff nurses have been staging protest against the State Government for the last one week.
The agitators cleared that they will do the shifts as per the Medical Council of India norms and follow work to rule till their demands are met by the state government. The agitated staff nurses abstained from their duties after morning shift in the government hospitals.
While speaking to The Pioneer, Anjana Bhowmick, State President, UNSA said that the timely promotion, dress allowance, pay anomaly, risk allowance, six pay commission, appointment of the registrar from staff nurse cadre, overcoming the shortage of staff nurses in the Government hospitals are the few main pending demands of the association.
She cleared that the State Government should first give the government orders’ highlighting that their year long pending demands are fulfilled by the State Government. She said that the association members will not initiate any talk with the health department officials as they took no steps for fulfilling the pending demands even after giving the repeated assurances.