BHUBANESWAR: Healthcare facilities in government hospitals across the state got affected as around 2000 staff nurses working under National Health Mission (NHM) went on an indefinite strike from Monday, demanding regularisation of their jobs. The nurses, most of whom are deployed in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and Sick and Newborn Care Units (SNCU), alleged that the state government ditched them several times by giving false assurances.
"The government has been playing with us for last several years and giving false assurances. This time we are not going to call off our strike till our demands are fulfilled," said Sumati Paikray, a NHM staff nurse.
She said, a meeting with the government on Monday remained inconclusive as it demanded another six months to fulfil their demands. "We are not going to wait for one more day even," she added.
The All Odisha Nursing Employees Association has supported the strike and said they are going to join it from Wednesday if the government will not fulfil their demands.
The nurses alleged that despite being engaged in all emergency and critical care services like ICUs, SNCUs, casualty wards and operation theatres apart from part of all welfare programmes government did not pay heed to their demands.
"Though we have same qualification and training as regular staff nurses and have been doing similar work but our salary is much less than their counterparts in regular job. Besides, we are not getting any other service benefits unlike them," said Paikray.
NHM staff nurses get remuneration of Rs 10,700 a month while regular government staff nurses get between Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 including dearness, house rent and uniform allowances depending on their seniority.
There are instances of regularising contractual employees engaged in special projects in different departments but state government has been ignoring their demands, alleged the staff nurses.
