Nagpur: Demanding filling up of all vacant posts of nurses in government hospitals on regular employment basis, caregivers in all government hospitals under the banner of Maharashtra State Nurses Association have gone on a two-day strike from Thursday.
Other demands of the striking nurses include equal work, equal wages, risk and nursing allowances, promotion and leave etc.
“If our demands are not fulfilled even after the two-day strike, nurses will go on an indefinite strike from Friday,” the association warned.
Yashesvi Bodile, vice-president of Maharashtra State Nurses Association, who has been working with Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) for the last eight years said several posts of nurses are lying vacant and we have been demanding recruitment for the last one year.
Even after facing Covid situation, the authorities have not initiated any steps to fill those posts.
During the peak of Covid waves, every nurse was burdened with more than 50 patients to look after, said Bodile.
“State government nurses should get risk and nursing allowances as is given to central government staff,” she said.
Sarita Naik, member of MSNA, said when everyone is talking about the third wave of Covid, the government should seriously consider our demands and immediately recruit nurses on permanent basis and not depend on engaging contractual staff through private agencies.
Naik said the association has been forced to resort to the strike only because of inaction on part of the authorities.
MSNA members had staged a two-hour no work protest on June 21 and 22 to draw the attention of the authorities.