CHARGE SHEET ISSUED AGAINST 2 NURSES, AIIMS TELLS DELHI HC

NEW DELHI: The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) on Wednesday informed the Delhi high court that it has issued a charge sheet against two members of the nurses’ union, one of whom has been suspended.

This came after it was found that they were reportedly involved in an April 22 incident at the institute, when a group of nurses headed by Harish Kajla entered the main operation theatre (OT) to protest against the shortage of manpower in the nursing department, and allegedly misbehaved with a resident doctor who was the duty officer that day.

Show cause notices were sent by the hospital to four members of the nursing staff for disruption of services and misbehaviour with duty doctors, and on Monday, Kajla was suspended with “immediate effect”.

Advocate Satya Ranjan Swain, counsel for AIIMS, however, assured Justice Yashwant Varma that presently no further punitive disciplinary actions are proposed to be taken against the other persons who were identified in that April 22 incident. He added that the institute will expeditiously constitute a committee to examine the grievances of its nurses’ union. Taking all the submissions of the AIIMS’ counsel on record, the court said, “The statement so made is recorded and accepted. It is clarified that notwithstanding the statement noted above, disciplinary proceedings that may have already been initiated shall be proceeded with in accordance with law. The court also takes on board the statement made on behalf of the petitioner (AIIMS) that a committee shall be duly constituted with expedition to examine the grievances of the union,” the judge noted in its order.