Students pursuing diploma courses in nursing at the government medical colleges in the city continued their protest for the fourth day on Friday, despite a crackdown by authorities. They have been demanding job security.
While students of students of Madras Medical College (MMC) staged a hunger strike, those of Government Stanley Medical College continued their protests inside their hostel after the authorities locked them in the building.
“We staged a sit-in protest, and later, broke open the lock on the front door. Nursing students of government colleges should be given priority in employment. Current students and those joining this year should be provided with government jobs, while those enrolling from next year should be informed that studying in a government institution does not guarantee a job,” a fourth-year student said.
At the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, students were stopped at the gates but continued to raise slogans. Tension prevailed when one of the students fell down and sustained head injuries. She was treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
An agitating student said they had been staging a sit-in protest for the last three days and decided to go out of the campus after receiving a circular from the directorate of medical education on Thursday evening asking them to refrain from protests.
“We will continue our protest until the government comes out with a solution,” she said. Police arrested nearly 650 students and later, released them.
