Nurses withdraw strike after assurance

Cuttack: Barely two hours after the cease-work strike, Odisha Nursing Employees Association withdrew the stir after a meeting with Cuttack Barabati MLA Debashis Samantray and Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Prabhat Biswal, superintendent of SCB medical college and hospital here today.

The strike has been withdrawn after the MLAs have agreed to apprise the government of nurses’ demands, said association secretary Prabhati Mohanty.

Health services at all district headquarters hospitals, the State-run medical colleges across the State was affected for quite sometimes as the members of the association staged sit-in at their respective work places across the State pressing for their three-point charter of demands.

Their demands include regularising staff nurses working under National Health Mission, regularising the nurses of all categories who have completed six years in service and hike of their basic pay from Rs 5200 to Rs 9300 along with a grade pay of Rs 4200.