Mumbai’s Nair hospital nurses protest after argument with BJP corporator

Nair Hospital nurses held a protest outside the dean’s office on Monday, alleging that BJP corporator from Mumbai Central, Sunita Lokhande, threatened a nurse on Saturday. The nurses said that the nurse was administering a relative of the corporator who is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

After meeting the dean on Monday, Lokhande said she would complain to the Municipal Commissioner.

While the dean, Ramesh Bharmal, said the issue was resolved and the nurses ended their protest after an apology from Lokhande Monday, the corporator denied the nurses’ allegation and alleged that hospital staff had been negligent towards her relative.

“The allegation of abusing nurses is false. One of my relatives is admitted in Nair Hospital. Nurses were not giving proper treatment, and due to some tension between nurses and a doctor, both were negligent towards the patient. On Saturday, I had an argument with an on-duty nurse since the staff was not paying attention. Later, my brother-in-law went to discuss the same issue but some nurses started shouting at him,” alleged Lokhande.

She added, “On Monday, when I went to meet the dean and tell him about this incident, a group of nurses started protesting and demanding an apology from my brother-in-law, alleging that he had abused them. I will take this matter up with the municipal commissioner.” However, Bharmal said he had called the nurses and Lokhande together to discuss the issue on Monday.

A senior medical officer said, “It was resolved very quickly. The hospital’s functioning was not disrupted.”According to a nurse, the patient’s family on Saturday had objected to the treatment administered by a staff nurse. “Later, the corporator came and she and her family member, after an argument, threatened the nurse saying she would lose her job,” alleged a nurse.

However, a senior doctor said there was a minor disagreement after the family complained about the nurse’s behaviour and termed it rude.