Patiala: Punjab’s healthcare infrastructure faced severe strain as the indefinite strike by the United Nurses Association (UNA) of Punjab entered its 14th day on Wednesday, affecting services at Govt Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, and AIMS in Mohali.The strike has centred on the restoration of Rs 4,600 grade pay (Level 7), with over 1,500 staff nurses in the three state-run facilities pressing for parity.Hundreds of nurses at Rajindra Hospital organised a peaceful protest march, carrying banners and raising slogans as they marched from the hospital premises to Fountain Chowk to educate to the public why they said they had been compelled to vacate their wards.UNA leaders, led by state president Ramanjit Singh Gill, alleged discrimination against nursing professionals. Gill said nurses recruited after July 2020 were initially promised Level 7 pay, but were later shifted to Level 5 (Rs 2,800 grade pay) in 2021, leading to a nearly 50% cut in entry-level salaries compared to neighbouring Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.Protesters criticised the management for relying on nursing students to bridge the staff shortage. “Patients who are critical and admitted in ICU or emergency wards or neuro ICUs, are at high risk with nursing students performing the jobs without the presence of trained nurses,” said Sukhwinder Kaur, a union member.Despite the state govt invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to declare the strike illegal, the nurses remained undeterred. Union leaders said the health minister was yet to engage in a direct dialogue or visit the protest sites. They claimed that ESMA was invoked just few hours before the start of strike. The prolonged strike has significantly disrupted outpatient departments (OPDs) and routine surgeries. with skeleton staff and interns managing emergency services. “We appeal to the Punjab govt to stop using threats like ESMA and instead address the legal and moral validity of our pay demands,” said Gill. “Our goal is not to harass the public, but to ensure that the nursing profession in Punjab is treated with the dignity it deserves.“ Demand & ImpactNurses are demanding the restoration of Rs 4,600 grade pay (Level 7). They claimed that in 2021, govt had downgraded their salary to Level 5 (Rs 2,800 grade pay)They want salaries on a par with their counterparts in neighbouring states, and direct talks with Punjab govtThe 14-day strike has witnesses participation by over 1,500 nursesOPD services and routine surgeries have been hit at Govt Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, and AIMS in Mohali
