Work at hosps hit as nurses’ strike enters 2nd day

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh health department regular nursing staff continued their strike for the second day here on Tuesday. Elective surgeries and free medicine dispensation along with other hospital work was impacted in government run hospitals. Health department officials maintained alternative arrangements are in place with contractual and interns bridging the shortfall. “At 41-point memorandum was submitted to the state government. There was almost on agreement on the same. However, assurances have not translated into action. Today, paramedics, pharmacist, dental assistant, radiographer, lab technicians have come out in support of nursing staff,” said Ambar Chouhan, a spokesperson for striking nursing staff. Patient services at three civil hospitals along with JP hospital and Katju hospital were impacted. However, the impact has been limited as a section of nurses and contractual staff have also kept a distance from the strike. In Bhopal alone, the number of nurses going on strike is close to 350. At the same time, the number of contract nurses is less than 100 in these five centres and around 20 are on leave. Problems of the patients have increased due to the ongoing strike. JP hospital superintendent Dr Rakesh Srivastava said that three operations were conducted in the hospital on Tuesday.