No end to nursing students' strike
Feb 1, 2014, 03.44AM IST TNN?[ R Gokul ].Times of India Trichy
TRICHY: The efforts of the Trichy district administration to end the agitation of the students of government nursing school here failed as the strike entered its third day on Friday. The students are demanding the scrapping of the government order to recruit students of private nursing colleges by the medical recruitment board (MRB). Meanwhile, service to patients was hit slightly due to the students' strike at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), sources said.
On Friday, around 50 students met the collector at her office after she had invited them for talks. Dr MA Aleem, vice-principal of KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College, and T Maragatham, the principal of the government school of nursing led the delegation.
As the students were not convinced by the collector's assurance to take the matter to the government, they decided to continue the strike, with the protesters sitting under the scorching sun.
Meanwhile, more than 350 nursing students are protesting in front of the MGMGH, pressing the government to revoke its order to appoint nurses of private colleges through MRB.
T Leelavathi, state secretary of Tamil Nadu Government Nurses Association, blamed some students from outside for 'allegedly instigating' the nursing students to continue the strike. She was seen having heated arguments with some students from elsewhere.
Leelavathi said that their association had submitted a plea to the government to give priority to the students of government nursing school in MRB recruitments. "We demand the government to provide reservation to government students in MRB recruitment examinations. But the students are carrying on with the strike due to support from external forces," Leelavathi said.
Maragatham said students should not be scared of taking up competitive examinations. "We are neither encouraging nor opposing the students' strike. Compared to private nursing college students, government college students are provided quality training. So, they are capable of winning in competitive examinations. They needn't refrain from taking up exams to join government services," Maragatham noted.
MGMGH sources said the strike has affected nursing care to patients at MGMGH, which is reeling under shortage of staff nurses. More than 500 nursing students are deployed here as trainees to assist the staff nurses.
Dr P Karkuzhali, dean of MGMGH, said the hospital administration is concerned about the agitating nursing students. "The nursing students already submitted their two demands and we forwarded them to the government. So, I did not discuss with them on the third day. But we are looking after the needss of the students who are on strike,' she said.
However, she claimed that patient care at MGMGH was not affected due to the ongoing strike.