NURSES-2NDLD STRIKE 2 LAST

Mishra said the Health ministry has tried to resolve most Mishra said the Health ministry has tried to resolve mostof the problems and out of their nine main demands, seven havebeen met "substantially or partially". "Two outstanding demands have been related to pay scaleand allowances as recommended by the pay commission andallowances. As for allowances, there is no finality to it asthe government has constituted a committee headed by theFinance Secretary which has invited the nurses federation onSeptember 12 for discussions," he said. The Health Secretary said at Safdarjung Hospital, 6,981patients were seen in the OPD today while 220 patients wereadmitted into wards. 35 deliveries were conducted while 11surgeries were also done. Similarly at RML Hospital, 5603patients were examined, 388 emergency cases were seen. Asked what options does the ministry have if the nursesdo not withdraw the strike, he said, "They are tough options." However, he made it clear that taking these actions isthe prerogative of the state government. In Delhi, municipal hospitals like Hindu Rao and KasturbaHospital too bore the brunt of the strike. The nation-wide agitation has come at a time when Delhiand several other cities across the country are battlingrising cases of dengue and chikungunya. At least 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported inthe national capital this season, with 368 of them beingrecorded last month. Eight deaths due to it have also beenreported. At least 432 people have been diagnosed withchikungunya in Delhi so far. Also, till July 28, 9,990 suspected chikungunya caseshave been recorded in the country, with Karnataka reporting7,591 cases. Also, over 15,000 cases of dengue have beenreported across the country this year. Several major hospitals in Delhi, swamped by patientssuffering from vector-borne diseases, had till late yesterdaytried to reach a common ground with their respective nursesassociations, but in vain. Delhi government runs nearly 40 hospitals out of whichLNJP Hospital is the biggest. Other major hospitals under itinclude GTB Hospital, DDU Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb AmbedkarHospital and Chacha Nehru Child Hospital. The nurses federation claimed that services were affectedat all these hospitals. Among the centrally-run hospitals, Safdarjung Hospitalwhich employs 1,100 nurses, including 160 on contract, toosuffered on account of the stir. RML Hospital employs about 840 nurses of whom 236 are oncontract. About 60 of its nurses were detained this morningfor "obstructing work" but were later released, police said.PTI KND TDS VITRG