Nurses’ Strike Hampers Medical Services At Bhima Bhoi MCH In Odisha

Balangir: Ahead of  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Balangir visit, nurses at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (MCH) here on Saturday launched a cease-work agitation protesting against the ‘attack’ on a staff nurse by attendants of a patient.

They demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the attack.

According to sources, two men along with a patient reached the female medicine ward at the hospital and assaulted staff nurse Pratima Pradhan on February 13.

Narrating the incident, the victim stated, “They thrashed me on my face. I want justice and they should be arrested at the earliest. This is not the first such case as one of our staff was beaten up by the attendants of a patient a few months back following which we had resorted to strike. We cannot work here like this, we are not safe.”

Medical services at the medical college and hospital came to a standstill as the nurses refused to get back to work until the guilty is punished.

A senior staff nurse said, “Senior police officials had assured to arrest the miscreants. But as no action was taken, we were forced to launch the agitation today.”

Speaking about the measures being taken to normalize things, Hospital Superintendent Prof. Mahendra Kumar Nayak, said, “We are holding discussions with nurses and efforts are also on by police to nab the accused involved in the case. I will inform senior officials of Odisha government on the developments.”

The protest was called off following a meeting with the district collector, later in the day.

The victim, Pratima Pradhan, is currently undergoing treatment at the surgery ward of the hospital.