Pimpri-Chinchwad: YCM Hospital nurses protest for two hours for various demands

Pune: All nurses and contractual employees working with the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) hospital protested for two hours on Wednesday (August 26) for their various demands.

The protesting nurses demanded that six thousand vacant posts of nurses in the medical education department and public health department should be filled immediately. The nurses also demanded that these posts should not be filled on a contractual basis. Their other demands were that nurses should be given seven days of Covid-19 duty on rotation followed by seven days of quarantine leave.

The government and the administration have ignored the various pending demands of such nurses that the Covid-19 duty should be in a four-hour shift.

A two-hour state wide strike was organized by the Maharashtra Government Nurses Federation on August 26 to draw the government and administration’s attention. All the nurses and contract employees of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) hospital participated in this agitation and raised slogans like “Our Union ... Our Strength”.

The agitation was led by Savita Nigade, president of Pimpri-Chinchwad Nurses Association. The hospital was closed for two hours in the morning after informing the administration. The nurses participated in the agitation and protested against the administration.

WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS?

• Nurses working in the service of Covid-19 infected and suspected patients should get quality Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, N-95 masks and other protective materials immediately.
• Nurses should be swab tested after Covid-19 duty. Nurses with heart disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and other serious illnesses should be exempted from Covid-19 duty.
• In case of death of any nurse while providing service to Covid-19 patient, one lakh rupees insurance amount announced by the government should be given immediately to their kin and their heir should be given a job in the government service.
• If nurses are contracted with Covid-19 infection, there should be reserved beds for treating them and their family if required in the hospital. Daily allowance should be given by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in the same manner as is given by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
• The government should immediately form a committee to solve the problems of nurses providing Covid-19 related services.