COIMBATORE: More than 100 nurses working in the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Thursday joined a statewide protest demanding that the Tamil Nadu govt address their long-pending grievances related to service conditions, employment and pay.As part of the agitation, the nurses boycotted work for nearly an hour in the morning and held a protest on the hospital premises.The nurses reiterated their demands including regularisation of service, equal pay for equal work, filling vacant nursing posts and ensuring adequate staffing based on the workload in govt hospitals. Contract nurses have also been seeking permanent employment and parity in wages with regular nurses.CMCH is one of the major govt hospitals serving patients from Coimbatore and neighbouring districts. According to the latest audit data, the hospital has 270 sanctioned nursing posts, of which 259 are occupied while 11 posts remain vacant.The nurses said the agitation would continue for three days. They urged the govt to initiate discussions with their representatives and resolve their demands without affecting the delivery of healthcare services to patients.
