Pune: Maruti More travelled one-and-a-half hours from Saswad to Sassoon hospital for dialysis on Monday, only to be turned away owing to the nurses’ strike. “I’ll have to find a private centre now as delaying dialysis isn’t an option. Switching centres will disrupt my schedule and add extra costs,” he said.BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, western Maharashtra’s largest tertiary care hospital, typically sees around 1,400 OPD patients daily. The ongoing strike has, however, paralysed the OPD services. The major impact has been felt in ENT, paediatrics, ophthalmology and orthopaedics departments. Sushrut Kamble, who had a fractured a thumb, said, “I was due for a dressing change on Monday, but since there are no nurses, I’ve been told to come back next week. As a diabetic, I need to see the doctor, but without nurses, they can’t do the dressing.”On an average, the hospital records 240 new admissions and 58 major planned surgeries every day. Priti Hagawane, who was accompanying her brother, said, “We came on Friday for my brother’s skin condition and were told to return on Monday. Now, they’ve told us to come back after the strike ends.”Even existing patients’ relatives had to step in to help with basic care. Some patients also reported delays in receiving food due to the nursing staff shortage. Senior citizen Ujjwala Chattre, who fracture her hip 15 days ago, said, “The nurses here have been my lifeline. But since the strike began, I’m struggling to cope. The nurses are more than just caregivers. They’ve become like family.”Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Yellapa Jadhav said, “The strike has significantly impacted patient services. With 307 nurses on strike, the hospital is seeking support from Bharati Vidyapeeth, DY Patil and Kashibai Navale nursing college, which have agreed to provide 50 nurses each. Final-year nursing students from our college have been deployed.”The nursing association said over 600 nurses were taking part in the strike. “We have told the staff to discharge patient not requiring hospitalisation,” he said. — Steffy Thevar
