Ranchi, April 30: The two-day strike called by the 100-odd nurses of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) was withdrawn after a written assurance from the government that their demands would be met.
The nurses would be joining for duty tomorrow. Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) RIMS unit secretary Annapoorna Sinha said the decision was taken after receiving a “written assurance” from the government that their genuine demands would be fulfilled.
“In the wake of their assurance and positive gesture from health minister Dinesh Sarangi and director K.P. Sarangi we have decided to join duty from tomorrow morning,” she said.
The agitating nurses had disrupted student nurses who were pressed into service by the Rims administration after the strike began yesterday.
The matter became serious and magistrates had to be called in.
There was one round of talks yesterday with health minister Dinesh Sarangi, which failed as the nurses were insisted on a written assurance from the minister. Around 2 pm, SDO Shankar Jha gave a written assurance on behalf of the government. The minister also assured them of a speedy action on the appointment of the 516 nurses. The minister told them that since there was a series of holidays this month, the work on nurses' appointment could not be expedited.
The RIMS administration had yesterday pressed into service about 110 student nurses to meet the situation. Later last night, 120 nurses (40 in each shift) for three shifts were called from the Sadar Hospital raising the nurse strength to 230.
A TNAI official said: “As a result of the nurses’ shortage, we are facing unprecedented work load, which affects our efficiency. The government has converted it into a super speciality hospital without adequate number of nurses.”
“The nurses are also upset with the state for not giving nursing allowance since July 2000. After the Fifth Pay Commission, nurses were to be given Rs 1,600 as nursing allowance. The Jharhand government neither gave food nor the nursing allowance,” the TNAI official said.
She also alleged that they were not being paid the dress allowance and washing allowance, according to the commission’s recommendations.
Illegal mining: The Jhark hand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) is allegedly running six mica mines in Koderma without lease agreement and withholding royalty and rent payment to the district mining office, reports our Koderma correspondent.
Koderma district mining officer Mukul Prasad said: 'The government is violating the mining rules. Applications for lease were filed by the then BSMDC. But they have not been cleared as the mines fall under the forest cover.”