Odisha: Nurses across state withdraw agitation

Bhubaneswar:  The nurses across Odisha withdrew their cease work agitation after getting assurance from two senior ruling BJD MLAs.

About 6,000 nurses working in three state-run medical colleges, 30 district headquarters hospitals and the Capital Hospital here had launced the cease work agitation in the morning demanding fulfilment of their ten-point charter of demand.

The demands of the Odisha Nursing Employees' Association include regularization of staff nurses working under National Health Mission and those who have completed six years in service and hike in basic pay from Rs 5,200 to Rs 9,300 along with a grade pay of Rs 4,200.

They alleged though the nurses have been making the demands since a long, none paid any importance to them.

Therefore, the nurses went to cease work agaitation, said Association seretary Prabhati Mohanty.

A report from Cuttack said the agitation was called off after assurances from the Superintendent of SCB Medical College and Hospital.

"Most of the demands of the nurses appear to be very genuine and the state government has already initiated steps in fulfilling them," SCB hospital superintendent Prof P K Rath said hoping the grievances of the nurses would be removed within two months.

As Health and Family Welfare minister Atanu S Nayak and department secretary Aarti Ahuja were on a visit to the Malkangiri district, the government sent Cuttack Barabati MLA Debashish Samantaray and Cuttack Choudwar MLA Prabhat Biswal to talk to the agitating nurses at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack.