NURSES’ STRIKE HITS MEDICAL SERVICES
Nurses at government hospitals in the district went on strike in support of their demand for pay revision on Friday. Though emergency services were not hit by the agitation, the situation was pathetic in the wards and operating theatres. At least 20,000 patients in OPDs and wards were affected across the district. They were left unattended in the wards while dozens of operations had to be postponed at different hospitals. The strike called by trade unions against the ‘anti-labour policies’ of the union government evoked mixed response in the state capital with thousands of employees of various state and central government offices abstaining from work. With banks remaining closed during the day, transactions in almost 450 branches were hit. Business of over `500 crore was affected in Lucknow alone.
Nurses at government hospitals in the district went on strike in support of their demand for pay revision on Friday. Though emergency services were not hit by the agitation, the situation was pathetic in the wards and operating theatres.
At least 20,000 patients in OPDs and wards were affected across the district. They were left unattended in the wards while dozens of operations had to be postponed at different hospitals.
“Nurse on duty suddenly left the ward in the morning without another one coming. When we inquired, the ward boy told us there will be a strike,” said Amit, whose father was admitted to Lohia hospital.
About 60 operations scheduled for the day had to be postponed and these will now be done next week, compelling patients to stay longer in hospitals. Some of them, however, decided to leave the hospital. “The medical staff said next turn for operation will come after the strike is over, so we have decided to go back home and wait,” said an attendant.
The strike had a major impact on Balrampur, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Lok Bandhu hospitals and PGI while the KGMU was partially affected.
Patient care was hit at SGPGI. Over 200 patients were discharged, 26 operations were postponed and 40 endoscopies were cancelled.
The PGI administration decided not to admit any new patients and stop registration after a meeting of HoDs. Medical superintendent professor Amit Agarwal said resident doctors and nursing students of B SC nursing were taking care of serious patients.
Seema Shukla, head of PGI Nurses Association, said 1,050 nurses of the hospital will remain on strike till the next directives from the central leadership in New Delhi.
There are over 5,000 government nurses in Lucknow hospitals and 12,000 all over the state. Majority of the nurses in Lucknow work at Balrampur, Lohia, Lok Bandhu hospitals, PGI, community and primary health centres. At KGMU, there are 1,200 nurses but only about 100 are from government service while the rest are on contractual basis.
Government nurses staged protest at the main gate while resident doctors and contractual nurses worked. Around 250 nurses posted at Balrampur hospital abstained from work and staged protest.
At Dufferin (women’s) hospital, 34 nurses remained on strike. Only normal deliveries took place but there was difficulty in distribution of medicines and also in conducting diagnostic tests. Ashok Kumar, general secretary of Rajkiya Nurses Sangh, UP claimed the strike would intensify as nurses who performed duty at some hospitals would also join the stir.