New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- Nurses at Delhi's Hindu Rao Hospital called off their strike on October 8 after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Additional Commissioner assured them that steps would be taken to address the staff shortage by December.
The nurses agreed to end their protest following the assurance that 50 to 80 per cent of the staff requirement would be met within 60 days. As part of the understanding, the recruitment process is to begin with posts through the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB). The assurance comes after nurses had been protesting since September 28, demanding that vacant nursing
positions be filled to ease the workload on the existing staff.
The hospital has 300 sanctioned nursing posts, but only 62 nursing officers were working, leaving 238 posts vacant. The shortage had become the main concern for the nurses, who said the existing workforce was struggling to manage the workload. Delhi Nurses Union president Vibha Singh had said that some wards had around 40 to 50 patients with just one nursing officer available to attend to them. She also highlighted how the workload was affecting the health and family lives of the nurses who continued working despite the shortage.
The protest began with a black ribbon demonstration from September 28 to October 4, during which nurses continued their duties wearing black ribbons. From October 5, they began a two hour agitation scheduled to continue until October 11. The nurses had also warned of a total strike from October 12 if their demands remained unaddressed. However, the strike was called off on October 8 following the assurance from the MCD official. The
nurses agreed to the proposed timeline, with the focus now on fulfilling the commitment to address the shortage. The key concern remains the availability of adequate nursing staff, which the union has maintained is essential for managing the workload and ensuring patients do not suffer.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.