In middle of pandemic caused by Covid-19, more than 400 contractual nursing staffers of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna went on strike on Thursday. Their demands are hike in salary and equal facilities that are provided to permanent staff members.
Low salaries and lack of job security made them host this protest outside front gate of AIIMS Patna. The sounds of slogans were heard for three straight hours and they also refused to join until their demands are heard and solution is provided. Hundreds of Covid-19 patient's treatment may get affected by this strike as AIIMS Patna is one among four government run hospital which is designated as Covid-19 hospital by Bihar government. The other three are Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital in Gaya district, the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur district, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna.
The contractual nursing staff said they will rejoin only if they get equal work and equal pay as permanent staff members. They also said that we should be given leave to rest and other falicities that a permanent member of AIIMS gets.
They also alleged that neither they, nor their family members are allowed to get treatment at the AIIMS Patna. They said they went on similar strike last week for few hours, but after getting assurances by the authorities they have returned to their respective works. But even after sending a memorandum to Dr. Prabhat Kumar Singh, the Director of AIIMS Patna, they got no response.
Rati Raman Jha, a civil surgeon from Samastipur district died due to Covid-19 and a day after this incident, the Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) threatened to stop working until their demands are heard and met. Jha is fourth doctor who lost his life due to Covid-19.
"It is a matter of grave concern as a large number of doctors and healthcare staffers are getting infected. As of now, three more civil surgeons and 40 doctors, who have been infected by COVID-19, are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Patna,"
"Doctors will have to launch a phase-wise protest if the government continues to ignore our demands," said Dr. Ajay Kumar, former president of BHSA.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bihar said, shortage of staff and poor infrastructure government-run hospitals is causing infection to the doctors.
As of 22 July, there were 30,066 Covid-19 cases and 208 deaths in the Bihar.
