AFTER declaring an indefinite strike yesterday, the Rajkiya Nurses Association called off the strike late in the evening today. However, their staying away from work today had its effect on the health services all over the state.
Ashok Kumar, secretary of the association, said, ‘‘We had a six hour meeting with the Director (Medical and Health) Ram Babu. We also met the higher officials in the government and after receiving positive reposnse from them, we decided to call off the strike.’’ He informed that out of 17 demands, seven have been accepted by the officials.
Meanwhile, In the city, services were crippled at all the district hospitals. At King George’s Medical University (KGMU), the records show that out of the 11 operations scheduled seven were cancelled. With almost 50 percent occupancy at the 16 bedded neo-natal intensive care unit (ICU) of KGMU, patients and their attendants were left fend for themselves.
Smita, a worried mother at the ICU, said, ‘‘the nurses took care of the child’s medicines, temperature etc. Today we have had to call the doctors and interns every time for this. And they also find it diffuclt to do all this as it is not their routine job.’’
Ram Mohan Yadav, whose child was admitted at the ICU informed that his five-day-old child had jaundice and was kept on the incubator.
‘‘In the last 24 hours, whenever I approached the doctor to have a look at my child, they spoke to me in a very rude manner,’’ said Yadav.
At civil hospital, the wards were left on the mercy of the pharmacists. No new admissions were made in the emergency services since morning and those admitted late on Wednesday night were shifted to the respective general wards.
Newsline team found that at the fully occupied 20-bed ward in the civil hospital, a pharmacist was looking after everybody. ‘‘Daily, the nurses on duty came and gave the medicines on time, but today we kept waiting for someone to come and give the medicine,’’ said one of the attendants there.
While partial chaos marked the hospitals today, the nursing staff staged a dharna in front of the Vidhan Bhawan. Some also marched towards the office of the Director General to meet the authorities and hand over their demands to them.
The nurses had been on token strike since July 12 and were wearing black ribbons since July 1, in protest against the government’s lack of interest in their demands. Their 17 point demand related to creation of new posts at the hospitals and salary and arrear dues.