Nurses Strike Halts Patna Hospital Services

Healthcare services at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) faced significant disruption on Tuesday as approximately 300 nurses commenced a strike. The nurses, from both morning and night shifts, protested an alleged physical and verbal assault on a senior staff nurse and her family by junior postgraduate doctors. This action led to delays in medicine and injection distribution across various wards and the postponement of scheduled surgeries. The nurses' strike persisted from 8 am to 5 pm. They eventually called off the protest after appeals from patients' relatives and the hospital superintendent, who assured them that a special committee had been formed to investigate the incident within 10 days. The nurses' primary demand is the cancellation of registration for the doctors involved in the alleged assault. Meanwhile, the Junior Doctors' Association initiated their own indefinite strike, suspending Outpatient Department (OPD), general ward, and elective surgery services, though emergency services continued. The PMCH principal emphasized the negative impact of such disruptions on public healthcare and expressed hope for a swift resolution.