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Tribune News Service
Patiala, February 6
A day after nurses were assured meeting with the state Health Minister and other officials, a couple of contractual nurses climbed atop the Government Rajindra Hospital building, leaving authorities panic-stricken on the Wednesday morning.
Nurses of Government Rajindra Hospital, Government Medical College Patiala, Government TB Hospital Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, are demanding regularisation of their services.
The police and Fire Department officials immediately rushed to the spot after getting information about the incident. As many as six staff nurses climbed atop the office of the Medical Superintendent building early in morning leaving the authorities of Rajindra Hospital panic stricken throughout the day.
Medical Superintendent, the police, and Fire Department officials met the protesters in the morning and gave an assurance of a meeting with higher officials, but they continued their protest. Nurses alleged that the government did not keep its word on earlier occasions too and betrayed them.
Carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, nurses raised slogans against the government and vowed to continue protest till their demands were met.
Threatening the state government, Punjab Contractual Nursing and Ancillary Staff president Karamjeet Kaur Aulakh said, “The protest will continue until we get our appointment letters from the government. We want to warn the government that if our demands are not met within next 48 hours, we will jump into Bhakra canal.”
Sandeep Kaur Barnala, one of the six nurses who, climbed atop the building said, “We will not come down until our demands are met. We will stay atop the building throughout the night.”
Meanwhile, the Punjab State Medical & Dental Teachers Association made an appeal to the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) and Health Minister Brahm Mohindra to give sympathetic consideration to genuine demands of nurses and regularise them.
Not the first time
In July last year, some nurses had climbed atop the Government Medical College building demanding 33 per cent increment in their salaries. In fact, in 2016, four members of the Contractual Nurses Union climbed atop an iron-bridge on the Bhakra canal and the association president, Karamjit Kaur, jumped into it. She was saved by the police personnel.
Patients suffer
The nurses’ protest worsened the patient care at the Government Rajindra Hospital. Visitors and patients continued to suffer as the OPDs and wards remained largely non-functional because nurses and the ancillary staff remained off duty for the morning and evening shifts.
Who climbed atop hospital building
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