Shillong, Sep 7: The NEIGRIHMS Nurses Association has announced that its members will go on mass casual leave on September 9 and has warned of an indefinite strike from September 17 if its long-pending demands are not met.
The nurses said the decision to intensify the agitation was taken after repeated representations to the administration failed to yield a concrete, time-bound resolution.
The association’s key demands include filling of all sanctioned Nursing Officer vacancies through regular recruitment, withdrawal of the proposal to outsource Nursing Officers, implementation of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare office memorandum from May 30 and early conduct of the pending recruitment examination. The memo introduced a sweeping structural reform for nursing personnel across central government hospitals.
As part of its earlier phase of protest, nurses had worn black badges on duty from August 17, held a daily symbolic two-hour dharna from August 18 to 21 inside the hospital premises and had planned a peaceful rally on August 21. The rally was called off after prohibitory orders were imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS citing law and order concerns.
The association said it had also met state Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla and NEIGRIHMS Director Dr Nalin Mehta on August 19 but did not receive satisfactory communication or feedback. A 14-day notice had been served earlier, informing the administration that nurses would proceed with mass casual leave on September 9 in the absence of a resolution.
With no response forthcoming, the NNA said it will now go ahead with mass casual leave on September 9. If the issues remain unresolved, nurses will launch an indefinite strike from September 17, as already intimated to the administration.
