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Nurses go on strike after action against feast in op theatre

Trivandrum - Medical college authorities said the strike had not affected the emergency services as the nurses in those sections had reported for duty as usual.

Medical services in the Government Medical College Hospital in the Kerala capital of Trivandrum were hit on Wednesday with a section of the nurses going on a flash strike in protest against the action taken against a head nurse and the head of Anesthesia Department in connection with the conduct of 'Onam feast' in the operation theatre of the hospital last week.
The head nurse, who was in-charge of the operation theatre of the cardiology department, was transferred and a show cause notice served on the anesthesiologist after an inquiry by principal secretary (health) K Elangovan showed that the feast was served in the sterile area in violation of the norms need to be maintained in an operation theatre.
College principal Dr Thomas Mathew had maintained that the feast was served outside the operation theatre. However, the claim was found wrong in the probe conducted by the health secretary. The inquiry was ordered by Health Minister V S Sivakumar.
The nurses went on strike, terming the action unilateral. They claimed that the feast was served with the permission of the concerned authorities, including the doctors. Around 150 nurses are taking part in the strike. They staged a demonstration outside the casualty wing demanding withdrawal of the action.
Medical college authorities said the strike had not affected the emergency services as the nurses in those sections had reported for duty as usual. The authorities are holding talks with the striking nurses to resolve the issue.
The incident that took place on Saturday snowballed into a controversy after TV channels aired footage of the festivities in the operation theatre. It was reported that 600 employees took part in the feat at the theatre, which is close to the palliative care section.
 
 

• India