Paramedics lock Rajindra Hospital OPD in Patiala
Protesting against the state government for regularisation of their jobs, the contract-based nurses and ancillary staff of Rajindra Hospital and Government TB Hospital, on Thursday, locked the OPD of Rajindra Hospital.
Protesting against the state government for regularisation of their jobs, the contract-based nurses and ancillary staff of Rajindra Hospital and Government TB Hospital, on Thursday, locked the OPD of Rajindra Hospital.
As part of their indefinite protest, the nurses and paramedical staff have called to close the OPD services.
The protesters claimed that they would not open the doors of OPC till their demands were not met. Meanwhile, authorities of Rajindra Hospital were trying to manage the staff from other nursing colleges and said they would try to open OPD on Friday.
The indefinite strike of nurses and paramedical staff entered into the second day on Thursday. The protesters raised slogans against the state government and spent days and nights on protest site outside the Rajindra Hospital OPD.
Rajesh Kumar, general secretary, Nurses and Ancillary Staff Union, said, “We have observed the attitude of the state government and our regularisation is being delayed deliberately. Now we have decided to close the OPD services and locked the doors of the OPD. We will not allow the OPD to be opened on Friday. The protest will continue till the written assurance by the Punjab government.”
“We received call from the health secretary office for a talk, but we refused because we have already attended so many meetings. It is wastage of time. We want regularization of our jobs. The chief minister is only authority who can allow such orders,” he added.
Besides, the services in emergency, ortho, medicine, operation theatre, radio therapy, gynecology wards and labour room were also affected on the second day of strike.
“The staff nurses have to perform duties for at least 19 hours along with nursing students, but our age cannot allow us do such long duties. Although some staff has been called from Sangrur who are experienced, they are not friendly with new place and it takes time to attend to patients,” said a staff nurse on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Rajindra Hospital assured to handle the situation and claimed that the OPD services would continue on Friday. “We are trying to manage the staff from nursing college. Doctors have also been deployed in every department and patients will be provided OPD services on Friday,” said, medical superintendent Bhupinder Singh Brar.