The initiatives taken to end the week-long agitation spearheaded by the Indian Nurses Association (INA) failed to yield results as the protesters declined to accede to the plea made by District Collector K. Jeevanbabu to defer their strike till July 20 in the light of the Chief Minister holding talks with the agitators to end the imbroglio.
At a meeting chaired by Mr. Jeevanbabu, the nurses declined to heed to the plea and made it clear that they would continue their agitation till an amicable solution was arrived at even as the functioning of select private hospital was affected on account of the agitation. INA district Secretary Ajeesh Chacko said that the protest would continue till their demands, including a revision of pay structure, was effected by the private hospitals.
Mr. Jeevanbabu reminded the agitators to suspend the strike till July 20 as the agitation was confined only to Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
The meeting held at the Collectorate here was attended by seven representatives of the association besides the district medical officer, the additional district magistrate and other senior district officials.
The agitators, however, assured the authorities that they would not extend the agitation to other private hospitals even as a section of nurses decided defer the strike in view of the proposed talks scheduled by the Chief Minister on July 20. The nurses strike has affected the functioning of at least 12 private hospitals in the district. The agitating nurses opposed the moves to deploy nursing trainees as a stop gap arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress and the Muslim Youth League had extended their solidarity with the agitators while the CITU urged the nurses to put off the strike in view of the talks.