Patiala, April 8 -- The All-India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF) has written to Union health minister JP Nadda, raising concerns over the Punjab government's decision to allegedly assign nursing students to independently manage patients. Nursing staff at three government medical colleges and hospitals have been on indefinite strike for the past 13 days, defying the state government's decision to invoke the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA) over the demand for the restoration of the Rs.4,600 grade pay. The AIGNF, in the letter, a copy of which is with HT, said the nursing students have allegedly been assigned care of serious and critical patients without adequate supervision. The letter has also been marked to the Punjab government authorities, including the governor and senior health officials, seeking urgent corrective measures. The federation expressed concern over what it termed as "unethical and unsafe practices," stating that nursing students are not registered practitioners and warned that such practices could compromise patient safety and expose institutions to legal liability in case of adverse outcomes. The federation pointed out that, according to the Indian Nursing Council (INC) guidelines, students are trainees and must work strictly under the direct supervision of registered nurses. It stressed that unregistered nursing students are not legally permitted to administer injectable medications, perform invasive procedures, or independently manage emergency and critical care cases. "Heavy responsibilities are being assigned to students without proper supervision, which is a clear violation of professional and ethical standards," the federation said. The AIGNF urged the Union health ministry to intervene immediately and ensure strict adherence to established guidelines, emphasising that clinical training must remain supervised and education-oriented, rather than being used as a substitute for regular staffing. The nurses proceeded on strike to get their long-standing pay anomaly addressed, which the union leaders said is affecting those recruited on or after July 17, 2020. Union leaders claim that nearly 1,500 nurses are currently being paid around Rs.29,000 per month under a Rs.2,800 grade pay. They have been demanding an upgrade to Rs.4,600 grade pay, which would raise their salaries to approximately Rs.44,900 per month, along with reclassification of their posts from Grade C to Grade B. Describing the existing pay structure as discriminatory, the nurses' association has argued that it does not reflect the workload and responsibilities handled by staff in tertiary care hospitals. Kumar Rahul, principal secretary, health and medical education, couldn't be contacted for comments despite repeated calls and messages....