Maharashtra Nurses Strike Enters Fourth Day Health Services Stalled
Maharashtra’s state-run health services, including non-emergency admissions and planned surgeries, remain severely impacted as nurses across 50 government hospitals continued their statewide strike for a fourth consecutive day on Monday. The Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA), representing 50,000 registered members, launched the agitation on Friday, July 18, demanding equal pay, nursing allowances, and a halt to contractual recruitment, citing persistent discrepancies under the 7th Pay Commission.
At Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital, a major tertiary care facility, staff confirmed instructions to discharge patients no longer requiring hospitalization, while outpatient department (OPD) services were largely paralyzed. Arifa Shaikh, MSNA president (Pune Chapter), highlighted the nurses’ direct involvement in patient care, often with high-risk patients like those with HIV and TB, and stressed their feeling of consistent neglect due to ongoing pay disparities. The nurses are demanding a direct meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, and Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif to secure a written assurance on their demands, vowing to continue the strike until such an assurance is provided.
The MSNA leadership, including secretary Sumitra Tote and president Manisha Shinde, stated that past committees, like the Bakshi committee, have failed to address the injustices, particularly the exclusion of assistant nursing superintendents, sister in-charges, clinical instructors, and paediatric nurses from revised pay scales for equivalent positions. They also advocate for immediate filling of vacant posts through promotions and 100% permanent recruitment. Across Mumbai, Nagpur, and other districts, the strike has led to significant disruptions, with only emergency services being maintained, often with the help of nursing students and senior staff.
The prolonged strike underscores the deep-seated grievances of Maharashtra’s nursing community regarding their working conditions and remuneration. With patient care severely impacted and crucial healthcare services suspended, the pressure mounts on the state government to engage effectively with the nurses’ association. A swift and mutually agreeable resolution is imperative to restore full functionality to the public health system and address the long-standing concerns of these frontline healthcare workers.
