Maharashtra, Delhi, UP partially affected by nurses strike

Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were "partially affected" by the nurses strike, the Union Health Ministry today said and hoped that the issue will be resolved soon through dialogues.
Even as there has been a sudden spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases in the national capital and there is a rush at various hospitals,
The Health Ministry termed the decision of the nurses federation to go on strike at this time (as there has been a sudden spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases in the national capital and there is a rush at various hospitals) as "unfortunate".
Noting that only two demands - hike in pay scale and allowances - of the nurses are pending, Union Health secretary C K Mishra said that the government has constituted committee headed by Finance secretary which will meet the nurses federation on September 12 to discuss their demands.

The massive protest has been called by the All India Government Nurses Federation and the Delhi Nurses Federation seeking redressal of issues related to pay and allowance.
"Maharashtra and UP are partially effected. There is no strike in any other state of the country. Delhi has a strike at both the state government and central government institutions.

"None of our AIIMS including the one in New Delhi has a strike. JIPMER does not have strike. The only institution outside of Delhi of central government which has a strike is PGI Chandigarh," Mishra said.
He said that although all the central government run hospitals were functional despite the strike, he admitted that major surgeries in all the hospitals were effected as trained nurses were not available.

"With great effort we have tried to ensure that the central government institutions remain functional. Given the fact that the patient rush is high, we have asked all doctors to put all efforts to make up for the strike.
"We are hopeful that the settlement will made soon. I have made a request to them to take a route of discussion rather than strike," Mishra said.
He added that he was hopeful that the issue would be resolved much before the nurses federation meet the committee headed by Finance secretary on September 12.
Services at several hospitals in the national capital were severely affected as government nurses went on a country-wide indefinite strike today, at a time when Delhi and many other cities are grappling with rising cases of dengue and chikungunya.

According to health ministry sources, 4000 - 6000 nursers went on strike.