Nurses march to Aswini hospital in protest

Thrissur: The United Nurses Association (UNA) organized a huge protest march to Aswini hospital saying that about 290 nurses, who are members of the association, were “humiliated” and “mentally tortured” by the hospital management by not allowing them to join duty. For the past four days, UNA had been protesting against the hospital management for terminating a nurse and serving notice on another. UNA functionaries said here that the management had unofficially given marching orders to 60 nurses who were working as trainees.

M.V. Sudheep, state secretary, UNA said that there were 330 nurses working in Aswini hospital of which 290 nurses were with the association and were asked to keep away from work by the management. “The hospital has officially served notices to just two people and one of the nurses was terminated.  The hospital management which held a press meet here the other day had said that only a trainee nurse who completed her contract had been ousted on the basis of her poor performance. However, they have unofficially asked several others not to join duty and even stopped them from working  when they reached the hospital on Monday,” Sudheep said.

UNA functionaries said that in line with Aswini hospital, tomorrow other hospitals in the state would take such vindictive action against nurses for demanding better wages as per the Supreme Court directive.   Meanwhile O.P. Achuthan Kutty, Chairman, Aswini Hospital, said that there was no truth in the hospital ousting nurses. “Most of the nurses are not turning up for work and the hospital is still being run with the help of about 52 nurses,” he said.