IMA: Nurses’ strike unwarranted, unlawful

KOCHI: Coming out against the ongoing nurses’ strike at Lakeshore Hospital in the city, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said on Thursday that the strike at the hospital was unwarranted and was unlawful. Meanwhile, United Nurses Association (UNA) strongly criticised IMA’s stand, stating that the hospital management is not adhering the conditions in the agreement.
Addressing the press here, IMA state president Dr J Rajagopalan Nair and secretary Dr A V Babu said that the nurses at Lakeshore Hospital were leading the strike for two issues which cannot be accepted. “The agitators are demanding non-extension of the probation period and permanent jobs for the trainees. The trainees are not the employees of the hospital and are entitled only to their training completion certificate. Probationers have to undergo performance appraisal before they are entitled to become permanent employees based on their performance,” they said. They also added that the management has a prerogative regarding the trainees and the probationers.

The nurses’ strike at Lakeshore Hospital entered the 27th day and there seems to be no let up to the situation as the agitators and the hospital management are sticking to their stands.
UNA president Jasmine Shah said that the claims raised by IMA are not true. “As per the Indian Nursing Council order, no nurse should be taken as trainee. A student pursuing nursing has to undergo training during the course period itself. This is stipulated in the order,” he said. He also claimed that some nurses at Lakeshore Hospital have been under probation for around ten years. “Usually, the probation period is only for a year and after evaluating the performance, they are either made permanent or removed from service,” he said.
IMA said that the fact finding team appointed by them found out that the nurses had even laid siege to the hospital last month. Stating that the social security network should not be altered, Rajagopalan Nair and Babu said that the agitators closed the community gate and the doctors and the patients were struck inside the hospital for hours. “About 250 patients and 106 staff were forcefully held under siege for three days without proper food and water,” they said.
On the minimum wages issue, IMA said that they have not received any complaint yet.
The IMA also alleged that the nurses union, that is striking,  is engaged in agitation only because they want to establish their organisation in the state. “They want to build up their organisation. They have a specific agenda,” they said. They also added, “Political trade unionism should not be there in the hospital sector. Look at the anarchy that they can create. But all the staff can have their own professional organisations but not political trade unionism,” they said.
Pointing out that IMA is apprehensive about the deteriorating working atmosphere in the hospitals in the state, Rajagopalan Nair and Babu said that the professional values of all concerned should be upheld and the interest of the patient cannot not be compromised at any situation.