Bolangir Hospital Nurses Launch Cease Work Agitation, Medical Services Hit

Bolangir: Medical services at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Bolangir were adversely affected as nurses on Saturday launched a cease work agitation protesting the attack on their colleague by attendants of a patient.

The victim staff nurse, Pratima Pradhan was on duty at the female medicine ward when two men along with a patient reached the ward allegedly thrashed her on February 13.

“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,” Pradhan had alleged earlier.

Pradhan is reportedly undergoing treatment at the surgery ward of the hospital.

As there has been a rise on the incidents of attacks on doctors and other hospital staff, the nurses association staged the demonstration demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the attack on Pradhan.

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

It is pertinent to mention here that nurses launched the cease work agitation on a day when Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik was scheduled to visit Bolangir today.

“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,” said Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital Superintendent, Prof. Mahendra Kumar Nayak.

Later in the day, the cease work agitation was called off after a meeting with district Collector.