The talks between the Vijaya Hospital nurses' union and the management on Wednesday failed yet again. Nurses' union president P.S. Praveen Kumar said it was the second time that the talks broke down since the protests began a week ago. The management has been unwilling to hike the salaries across the board. The most it would agree to was an increase in the salary for freshers by Rs.2,000. “It is unfair that they have refused to grant increments to the confirmed employees”, he added.
According to Mr. Praveen, the freshers are drawing Rs.8,500 and if the new increment comes into effect they will receive Rs.10,500.
The nurses at the private hospital in Vadapalani have been protesting for a hike in the salary and night allowance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Earlier in the day, the hospital management urged the nurses to withdraw the strike. Addressing a press conference here, P. S. N. Raju, Chief Cardiac Anaesthesiologist at Vijaya Hospital said that around 40 cases of cardiac surgeries and 200 general surgeries are pending because of insufficient staff. “It was only yesterday that we performed a surgery for a patient who had been waiting for the last 12 days. We operate the emergency cases immediately with great difficulty.”
The management rubbished the various allegations posed by the nurses.
Bharathi Reddy, CEO of Vijaya Hospitals said, “We want the nurses to call off their strike and come back to work right away. The nurses aremisled by some forces with political motive.”
ADVERTISEMENT