Thiruvananthapuram, March 10 The ongoing strike by nurses in private hospitals has paralyzed patient care in many healthcare establishments in Kerala, prompting the association of their managements to criticize the agitation and warn of appropriate action.
The Kerala Private Hospitals Association (KPHA), during a press conference in Malappuram, said the strike was illegal as no prior notice was given.
They also argued that it was wrong to obstruct nurses who were willing to work and to neglect patients, especially those who were bedridden.
Even some doctors complained that they were unable to provide proper treatment or care to patients due to the lack of nurses.
They said that even medical colleges would not be able to cope with the influx of patients from private hospitals.
On the other hand, the president of the United Nurses Association (UNA), Jasminsha, posted on Facebook that 422 hospitals had agreed to the protesting nurses' demand to increase their salaries to Rs 40,000, and that 14 more hospitals were expected to sign the agreement on Wednesday.
Thanking the managements that signed the agreement, he said that the agitation had been called off at those hospitals.
He also urged the KPHA to try and resolve the issue.
Jasminsha also stated in his post that some hospital managements had approached the Kerala High Court to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), but were unsuccessful.
Nurses affiliated with the UNA began an indefinite statewide strike in Kerala on Monday, demanding that the basic salary in private hospitals be increased to Rs 40,000 per month.
The operations of several private hospitals that refused the demand were partially affected, as a large number of nurses stayed away from work in support of the strike.