Court asks AIIMS to hear grievances of the staff

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi High court on Wednesday directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a board for hearing the grievances of the staff. This came after the nurses of the institute went on a strike on Tuesday, before calling it off the same evening.

The court stated that no punitive measures should be taken immediately against the persons identified in the incident, against whom action has not been initiated. Further, the court said an office-bearer of the nursing union will give an undertaking on good behaviour on part of their members.

“Do not take any immediate action. Let things cool down. Take undertakings, set up a board,” Justice Yashwant Varma directed AIIMS. The judge directed the parties to maintain harmony, considering that the functioning of AIIMS should not be hampered.

The court was told that the president of the nurses union was already suspended. “Two persons have been charge-sheeted and the president has been suspended.” The strike was called demanding withdrawal of the union president’s suspension.

The bench asked the counsel appearing for AIIMS that if the institute finds anything wrong, it can act in accordance with law. “You won’t take any immediate punitive action. Respondents will also give an undertaking that the functioning of the institute shall not be hampered,” the bench said. A petition has been listed for July 29, for further hearing.

Around 60 major surgeries were cancelled after 5,000 nursing staff went on a strike. It was called off late on Tuesday evening, after the high court asked the union to resume duty.On Tuesday, AIIMS had moved court seeking direction to the nurse Union and other staff to desist from resorting to strike or disrupting the functioning of the hospital.

In a letter addressed to the AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, the Union wrote, “In response to your unilateral decision to suspend Harish Kajala, president of AllMS Nurses Union, without even citing proper reasons, the union has called an emergency executive meeting took the decision to go on indefinite strike from 8 AM on April 26 demanding immediate revocation of suspension of Harish Kumar Kajla.”