Nurses Strike Cripples Punjab Hospitals

Health services at Punjab's three government medical colleges have been significantly disrupted for three consecutive days due to an ongoing nursing strike. More than 1,500 nurses, part of the United Nurses Association (UNA) of Punjab, are protesting, having defied a state government order to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

The strike impacts hospitals in Patiala, Amritsar, and Mohali, with inpatient care severely affected while outpatient departments continue to operate. Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala is particularly hard-hit, with emergency services operating with a fraction of their usual nursing staff. Life-critical units such as the labour room and neonatal nursery are badly impacted.

The core issue stems from a 2021 government decision that reclassified nursing staff, reducing their entry-level monthly salaries by approximately Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000, a nearly 50% cut. Nurses argue that their counterparts in neighboring states and union territories receive higher grade pay.

Talks between a government panel and union leaders on Friday concluded without resolution. The nurses have rejected the government's request to suspend the strike until May 4, asserting that their demands are legally and morally justified. The UNA has indicated potential solidarity from other nursing cadres across the state if the issue is not addressed promptly.