Nursing staff of Azeezia MC on strike

KOLLAM: Close on the heels of the strike at the Sanker’s Hospital in the city the previous week, the nursing staff of Azeezia Medical College Hospital, Meeyannoor, too have taken protest path. While the stir at Sanker’s  Hospital was withdrawn following the intervention of a trade union on the fourth day, the latter’s strike continued even on the fifth day without being cared by the management.Meanwhile, two of the lady nursing staff who were on strike, one of them pregnant, were admitted to the district hospital, after they fell unconscious during a protest staged in front of the hospital. Subha, 22, of Valakam and Jasmine, 28, of Avanieswaram, are the hospitalised.Around 140 nursing staff, majority of them working on contract basis, are on  strike under the banner of All-India Registered Nurses Association demanding salary revision. The protesting staff said that the  management had refused to hold discussions with them and had threatened that all the nursing staff participating in the strike would be dismissed.Aneesh, a nursing staff of the hospital, told Express that many nurses were paid ` 1,500 to ` 3,500 depending on their experience. “Some of the nurses with an experience of more than 10 years were paid ` 5,000 to `6,000,” he said.Management spokesperson, when contacted, said that a section of nursing staff went on strike without notice to the management. “They neither raised their demands nor are part of any trade union,” he said. “Most of the nurses, who were on strike,  joined the hospital as interns and trainees seeking experience. Out of more than 200 strong nursing staff at the hospital less than a score are permanent staff and the permanent staff get all benefits,” he said.Attempt to Form UnionMeanwhile, allegations had been raised from various quarters about replicating the nurses strike in other parts as a conscious attempt to add members to a nurses union. A management source said that a few outsiders had collected ` 250 each from the nurses to form a union less than a couple of months ago. On Monday, the protesters claimed that there was a move on the part of a group connected to the management to attack those who were on strike.