The health services of the State suffered as the Government nurses started three day mass casual leave programme from Monday to press for their demands. The in-house patients faced maximum brunt of the agitation of the nurses. The health department tried to salvage the situation by deploying medical interns, nursing students, contractual workers and pharmacists in the major hospitals.
In Doon hospital here, all the 126 nurses with the exception of one were on the strike. The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of the hospital Dr R S Aswal said that nine MBBS interns, 15 BAMS interns, 25 pharmacy apprentices and three contractual nurses were deployed in the hospital to minimise the effect of mass causal leave of the nurses.
One of senior doctor said that the agitation of nurses affected the normal functioning of the hospital. “In one ward normally 6 nurses at a time are deployed but today only two interns are discharging their responsibilities and one cannot expect the expertise and experience of staff nurses from the students”, he quipped.
In the neighboring Doon women hospital the situation was similar with all 75 nurses going on mass leave. The Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the hospital, Dr Meenakshi Joshi said that services of 30 trained nurses from a social organisation ‘Samarpan’ were taken to manage the hospital apart from them 25 contractual nurses managed the affairs of the sensitive Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
In majority of CHC and PHC’s of the State the absence of nurses affected the normal functioning.
The State President of Uttarakhand Nursing Services Association, Anjana Bhowmick claimed that the mass causal leave programme was a complete success. She said that none from either State Government or the health services has contacted them on resolving the impasse so far. Bhowmick informed that all 1270 nurses of the State are participating in the agitation.
The nurses started their agitation by wearing black arm bands from September 01.
After three day mass casual leave the association would undertake rallies at state health directorate and secretariat on September 10 and 11. They have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from September 14 if the state government continues to ignore their demands.
The major demand of the nurses is increasing their grade pays. The other demands are setting up a separate Nursing directorate, increased chances of promotions to higher posts and restructuring of their cadre.