Government nurses in Puducherry abstain from work, stage protest
The Hindu
As part of their month-long protest plan, government nurses in Puducherry on Friday, abstained from work and staged a two-hour long protest at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Child Hospital, to highlight their pending demands., including the filling up of existing vacancies.
As part of a month-long protest plan, government nurses in Puducherry on Friday, abstained from work and staged a two-hour long protest at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Child Hospital, to highlight their pending demands., including the filling up of existing vacancies.
The protest, held under the banner of the Puducherry Government Nursing Officers Association, however, did not affect emergency medical services as the hospital functioned with skeletal staff. The association had held a similar protest at the government hospital two days ago.
The nurses are demanding, among other things, the implementation of the enhanced allowance of ₹7,200 from the existing ₹4,800, the filling up of vacant posts of Nursing Officer, Senior Nursing Officer, Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Assistant Nursing Superintendent, and cadre restructuring.
The association also wants the government to ensure the safety of nurses working on night shifts, regularisation of 33% of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) nursing officers, and the adoption of a fair transfer policy.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.