Nurses’ Strike at Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Delhi, Enters Fifth Day

The strike of the nurses and paramedical staff of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Vasant Kunj, New Delhi entered its fifth day on Wednesday, 4 October.

The strike began on Saturday after Jeena Joseph, a nurse at the Delhi government-run Institute was dismissed and the subsequent suicide attempt by her in the hospital premises.

The strike action has affected the functioning of the outpatient as well as emergency services of the hospital.

The striking employees have been demanding the revoking of the termination order issued to Jeena Joseph, the President of the Employees Welfare Association. Apart from this principal demand, the staff is also raising various issues including the non-implementation of the settlement accord following an earlier 18-day agitation in July. The settlement accord was signed on 22 July in the presence of Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai. It contained clauses concerning the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, which are yet to be implemented, the striking employees told Newsclick.

The striking employees also allege that Jeena was advised to take some high-dose sedatives while being admitted to ILBS, which turned out to be unwarranted after she was moved to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The employees are demanding a thorough enquiry into this incident as well. While the management claims that Jeena was fired due to “acts of indiscipline” and “serious misconduct”, the striking staff told Newsclick that she is being victimised for speaking up for the rights of the employees. The “performance appraisal report” which the management held up against Jeena Joseph is an utterly unprofessional document, said the employees.

The functioning of the hospital remains badly affected since 30 September, with nearly 80 per cent of the services not functioning and new admissions stopped. Only the maintenance services for critical patients are functional at the hospital.

Talks which went on for nearly 7 hours between the representatives of the nursing and paramedical staff of ILBS and Director Prof. SK Sarin had failed on the fourth day. The striking staff said that no suggestion worth mentioning was put forward by the Director with respect to the main demand of reinstating Jeena Joseph, whose services were terminated with effect from 28 September. The employees said that the Director justified the ill-treatment meted out to Jeena while she was admitted to ILBS after her suicide attempt. An enquiry by the Delhi Police is going on regarding her suicide attempt.

Leaders of various staff unions of the government hospitals in Delhi met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday seeking his immediate intervention in the matter. The Delhi State General Secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Anurag Saxena, Delhi Nurses Federation office bearer Leeladhar and United Nurses Association representative Jasmin Sha visited the striking employees and expressed solidarity with them.