Udaipur— Friday saw health services across Rajasthan severely disrupted as approximately 50,000 nurses from government hospitals participated in a collective day-long leave protest. The event took place at Ramlila Maidan in Jaipur, where nursing workers rallied to voice their 11-point demands, highlighting concerns over pay scales, working conditions, and appointments.
The strike, called by the Rajasthan Nursing Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, threw medical services into turmoil across the state. Nursing workers from various districts, who have been protesting for the past 40 days, converged to raise their grievances. Large numbers of nursing personnel, including those from various districts made their way to Jaipur, causing major disruptions in healthcare services.
Protesting nursing staff said that they had been boycotting work for 2 hours for the last 40 days. " We tried to convey our issues and grievances to the government for so many days but due to non-fulfilment of the demands, today a big rally is being organized and around 50 thousand nursing staff has gone on a mass leave protest" Pyarelal Chauwdhary, one of the leaders told the media.
The absence of nearly 50,000 nursing professionals has critically impacted healthcare services, especially in terms of surgeries and other medical interventions that depend heavily on their expertise. With doctors, resident and community health officers, and nursing students attempting to fill the void, the strain on the healthcare system is palpable.
Dr.R.L Suman, Medical Superintendent of MB Hospital in Udaipur reassured patients that both academic and non-academic resident doctors were available to provide patient care during the strike. However, the absence of nurses has prompted hospital administrations to make alternative arrangements, particularly for ICU and emergency services. Some 300 staff including GNM qualified candidates and nursing students, contractual nursing staff were deployed in various wards.
The nurses' strike stems from long-standing demands that the Gehlot government has yet to address satisfactorily. One of the leaders of the protest, Narendra Shekhawat, expressed disappointment in the unfulfilled promises outlined in the Congress party's 2018 election manifesto. Additionally, they presented 11 specific demands for better working conditions, including salary parity with central standards, the removal of pay scale anomalies, the establishment of a separate Directorate of Nursing, and an end to contract recruitment.
The strike has forced hospitals to make alternative arrangements to ensure minimal disruption to patient care. Dr. Achal Sharma, Medical Superintendent of SMS Hospital, Jaipur stated that resident doctors assisted in patient care and that nursing students have also been deployed. However, hospitals face challenges in the absence of contract nursing staff, who are hired through private contractors and are not government employees. As a result, the administration has prohibited them from participating in the mass leave.
Hospitals in various districts have adopted similar measures, including seeking assistance from junior and senior resident doctors, as well as nursing students. While the strike has undoubtedly drawn attention to the nurses' demands, it has also highlighted the delicate balance between ensuring quality patient care and addressing the grievances of the healthcare workforce.
Two distinct factions within nursing associations have resulted in a fragmented approach to their protest against the government. One faction- the Rajasthan Nursing Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti staged rally on Friday at the Ramlila Maidan, while the other faction Rajasthan Nurses Sangharsh Samiti rallied in Jaipur on August 23.
For more than three months, these nursing groups have been engaged in agitation to highlight an 11-point list of demands. These demands encompass a range of issues, including salary enhancements, increased job opportunities, and alterations to their uniforms.
The division into two factions has significantly weakened the strength of the nurses' collective efforts. While one faction staged their protest on Friday, the other faction had already demonstrated their intentions two days ago. Hence they did not boycott work and were present on their duties. Praveen Charpota, the District President of the Rajasthan Nurses Association, Udaipur told The Mooknayak that their union, which is affiliated with the Rajasthan Nurses Sangharsh Samiti, were at work on Friday as their association had protested two days back. The MB hospital management had deployed nursing students from private colleges to ensure smooth working while the junior and resident doctors performed the routine work without much hassles.
Charpota maintained that the demands of both the factions are just, but his association plans to persistently urge the government to address their concerns through nonviolent means, rather than resorting to strikes.
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