Ludhiana Patient care at civil hospitals, community health centres and other government establishments in the district were disturbed as the nursing staff continued their strike against the sixth pay commission for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.
Though the health department had deputed contractual employees to substitute for the striking staff, the shortage of staff affected work by and large, including emergency services.
On the call of a state-level body, staff nurses under the banner of the Ludhiana Nursing Association raised an agitation outside the civil surgeon’s office. Over 100 nurses deputed at hospitals and health centres in Ludhiana, Khanna, Samrala, Payal, and Jagraon among other areas participated in the agitation.
Contractual staff working under the National Health Mission (NHM) was deputed in emergency, and labour wards. A staff member deputed at the Ludhiana civil hospital, requesting anonymity, said, “Only one contractual staff was deputed in the labour ward to substitute for three nurses. Ten deliveries took place in the ward and other employees had to pitch in. A similar ratio was observed in the emergency ward.”
Rakesh, who was admitted in the emergency ward of the Ludhiana civil hospital, said, “I first went to the government hospital in Khanna, but they referred me to Ludhiana, citing staff shortage.”
{{/usCountry}}Rakesh, who was admitted in the emergency ward of the Ludhiana civil hospital, said, “I first went to the government hospital in Khanna, but they referred me to Ludhiana, citing staff shortage.”
{{/usCountry}}Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Kiran Ahluwalia said, “Work was affected in hospitals and health centres due to the strike, but emergency services were not stopped. Staff working under the NHM was deputed to deal with patients in absence of regular staff nurses.”
We do not want to harass patients: Nurses
The nursing staff, which is protesting against the sixth pay commission, and demanding an increase in pay grade, the designation of nursing officer; implementation of old pension scheme, allowances including night allowance, diet allowance, and uniform allowance, said they did not want to harass the public but they their legitimate demands were not being fulfilled.
Strike called off
Ludhiana Nursing Association president Asha said that the nurses called off the strike after a meeting was held between the state government and the representatives of a state-level union in Chandigarh on Tuesday wherein the government accepted most of their demands. “The government has sought a week’s period to issue a notification regarding their demands, and if it fails to issue the same we will go on strike again,” said Asha.