Nurses Strike: Punjab Healthcare Crippled

Essential healthcare services in Punjab have been severely disrupted as nurses continue their strike, defying the enforcement of ESMA on March 25. The ongoing industrial action has impacted critical areas including intensive care units, neonatal intensive care units, pediatric intensive care units, operation theatres, wards, and emergency services. Three major institutions—Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala; Government Medical College, Amritsar; and Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali—are significantly affected, with an estimated 40-50% of nursing staff participating.

The nurses' protest centers on a pay anomaly for staff recruited on or after July 17, 2020. Union leaders report that approximately 1,500 nurses receive a monthly salary of around ₹29,000 with a ₹2,800 grade pay. They are demanding an increase to a ₹4,600 grade pay, which would raise salaries to approximately ₹44,900, and a reclassification from Grade C to Grade B posts.

Officials have characterized the agitation as illegal and unlawful, issuing a final warning for nurses to resume duties or face strict action. The Director of Research and Medical Education (DRME) stated that the demand for a ₹4,600 grade pay is currently sub judice. Meanwhile, the nurses' union remains resolute, vowing to continue the strike until their demands are met and criticizing the government's use of ESMA as an attempt to suppress their rights.