Nursing students’ protest enters second day in Madurai

The government nursing college students’ strike entered its second day here on Wednesday with around 700 students staging a demonstration at the Government Rajaji Hospital.

The students boycotted their work and staged a sit-in protest at the nurses quarters. They raised slogans condemning the government order that enables the nursing students of private college to enter government service.

Later, in the evening 15 representatives of the nursing students met the District Collector L. Subramanian and held talks with him, sources said.

The Collector told the students that their representation had been forwarded to the higher authorities. He also urged the students to withdraw their strike and get back to work. “We have more practical experience than the private nursing college students. We know how to tackle an emergency situation,” said the students.

Students of government nursing college should be given preference for government jobs over private students, they added. Meanwhile, the authorities have warned the students of severe action if they resumed the strike.

It may be recalled that the students had submitted a petition to the District Collector on January 11 in this regard.