Govt invokes ESMA to tackle nurses’ strike

In a separate development, the minister has authorised the medical superintendents of various hospitals to directly recruit the nurses to normalise the health care services and said those who come forward would be given due weightage at the time of regular appointments.

The developments, however, seems to have added fuel to the fire. In fact, a stand-off between the government and the striking nurses now seems imminent as the nurses have refused to budge from their stand. They have already defied the Delhi government’s 24-hour ultimatum and now propose to continue their strike.

Union Health Minister Dalit Ezhimalai said the government would hold talks with them only if they withdrew their agitation, while the Delhi Nurses Union insisted that the government include the issue of pay hike in the talks.

The minister, in turn, said that nothing prevented the government from taking any administrative action against the striking nurses for restoring medical care to patients. “The striking nurses indulged in locking up life saving drugs in some government hospitals denying medical care to hapless patients. They even prevented student nurses and volunteers from other hospitals from entering government hospitals,” he said in a statement today.

The Union government had yesterday rejected any revision in pay structure for nurses during talks, which failed, but assured that they would look into anomalies and other demands such as enhanced allowances, promotions, housing, filling up of vacancies and setting up of a nurses directorate.

Courts order striking nurses to keep off RML, Sucheta Kriplani hospitals
The Delhi High Court today restrained striking nurses’ from demonstrating in and around Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital. It also directed them not to interfere in the entry and exit of doctors, nurses, nursing students and support staff to be deployed in the hospital. The striking nurses have also been restrained from holding demonstrations, causing blockages or disturbing the entry and exit of hospital staff at the Sucheta Kriplani Hospital by a Delhi court.

Civil Judge Mahesh Chandra Gupta issued notices to the nurses’ federation while restraining them from disturbing the hospital affairs at the hospital.

The nurses have been told not to hold dharnas, gharao etc within a 100 metre radius of the entrance of the Sucheta Kriplani hospital, situated at Panchkuiyan road, till further orders.