Sassoon hospital nurses to go on strike; Impact on healthcare services

Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) is to experience disruptions in healthcare services starting on Friday as nurses join an ongoing strike that was declared by the Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA) on December 14.

Approximately 40,000 nurses from all government hospitals in the state as well as 1,000 nurses from SGH will go on an indefinite strike in support of different demands.

The nurse’s association has written letters about the protests to the district civil surgeon, the dean of BJ Medical College, the dean of SGH, and the Maharashtra Medical Education Commissioner.

In the letter, the MSNA requested that the contractual appointment of nurses be discontinued, benefits from the previous pension plan be continued, and the retirement age be raised from 58 to 60 years old. and, among other things, provide all contractual nurses with full-time employment. Additionally, the association insisted that the open positions in the nursing department be filled right away because they increase workloads and lower the standard of care.

According to a senior MSNA official, all nurses will continue their indefinite strike until their demands are fulfilled. They want to raise the retirement age to 60 years old and provide pension benefits. At SGH, two nurses look after 80 patients in one ward.

A meeting was held on Monday, according to a Sassoon Hospital official, to determine what other arrangements could be made during the strike. During the walkout, they have made the decision to enlist the assistance of paramedics, clinical staff, and trainee physicians and nurses. To ensure that the services are not hindered, they will also be writing to municipal corporations and medical colleges to request staff.