New Delhi|HLive
Nurses association across the country went on mass causal leave on Friday protesting against the “retrograde recommendations” of the Seventh Pay Commission.
Planned and routine surgeries cancelled as the nurses were on mass causal leave.
Only emergency operations were performed as told by the admin.dept of hospitals.
Around 70 routine surgeries had to be rescheduled as 25 out of the 30 operation theatres were shut at Sufdarjung hospital while at RML around 50 routine surgeries had to be rescheduled.
All necessary services such as the emergency and ICUs are being handled by the nurses who work on contract, interns and junior doctors. Also, only the emergency OT’s are functional,” said Dr AK Rai, MS, Safdarjung Hospital.
Around 600 resident doctors and post graduate students and interns were arranged by the hospital for OPD and emergency services as told by Medical Superintendent of RML A.K.Gadpayle,
Nurses of AIIMS, who had earlier agreed to be a part of the protest, called off their strike and support the strike while working in the hospitals.
Members of All India Nurses Federation observed the mass casual leave as part of their ongoing agitation for a hike in their salaries and other allowances.
They have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 15 if their demands were not met.
Nurses associations appeals to the government immediately action should be take for nurses legimate demands otherwise we go on indefinite strike from March 15 said , Mr. Ramchandani, Spokeperson , All India Government Nurses Federation.
Further Ramchandani said, on Friday around 25-30 thousand nurses participated from different state including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, MP, Assam , Chhattisgarh, of India and march to Delhi.
Apart from state ESI and Railway nurses association also participated in the strike.
From Delhi hospitals, RML , LNJP, G.B.Pant, MCD, NDMC and all central government hospital nursing staff join the strike and around 15,000 nurses were in CL as told Mr.Ramchandani
“We are protesting against the retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. We are demanding that the entry pay grade for staff nurses should be enhanced to Rs 5,400 from the existing Rs 4,600. Also the nursing allowance should be enhanced by Rs 7,800. Risk allowance and night duty allowances should be given to all nurses as it is given to all other government employees,” Federation’s Secretary General G K Khurana said.
