Due to the Maharashtra State Nurses Association starting a strike from Thursday for their various demands, patient services at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune have been halted. About 340 nurses have participated in this strike, resulting in the postponement of scheduled surgeries and a serious impact on patient services.
The impact of the strike is clearly visible on the outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) departments. Many patients have to wait for examination and treatment. Although the hospital administration has tried to continue services with temporary measures by employing some contract staff and resident doctors, it has become difficult to provide services at full capacity. According to the nurses' union, their main demand is to rectify the salary discrepancies in the Seventh Pay Commission and oppose recruitment through contractual methods. The union has accused the government of repeatedly neglecting these demands.
Currently, a total of 939 nurses are working at Sassoon Hospital, of which about 340 nurses have actively participated in the strike. As a result, the scheduled treatment of many critical patients has been postponed. There is also a tone of dissatisfaction among the relatives of the patients. The hospital administration has started efforts to discuss with the nurses. If a positive decision is reached in the discussions between the administration and the state government, there is a possibility that patient services will soon be restored. Meanwhile, due to this strike, patient services are likely to remain disrupted for a few more days.