AIIMS nurse union calls off protest after hospital management agrees to fulfill demands

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) nurse union called off their protest against the hospital administration after the latter promised to meet their demands. The nurses had been protesting for nine days and had demanded, among other things, better working facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis. 

READ: AIIMS Nurses' Union Threatens Indefinite Strike Over Lack Of Facilities Amid COVID Crisis

Nurses Union call off strike

Reportedly, Several healthcare workers at the AIIMS have been infected by COVID-19, including 50 nurses. The nurses' body had put forth a number of demands, including implementation of a uniform four-hour shift with personal protective equipment (PPE) in COVID-19 areas of the hospital, a uniform rotation policy between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 areas, and establishment of proper donning and doffing area.

The Union had threatened to go on an indefinite strike from June 15 if the demands were not met by the administration. Harish Kajla, President of AIIMS Nurses Union was quoted by ANI as saying, "Now that administration has agreed to fulfil all our grievances, the nurses union has withdrawn their protest. We have decided to call off our mass casual leave protest as per the request made by the administration," he said.

"Rosters shall be prepared two weeks in advance to ensure appropriate deployment ensuring proper patient care and also improving the working conditions. It was decided that an additional 100 nursing personnel will be provided to the JPNATC (COVID-19) hospital to cope with the patient care," he added.

READ: COVID-19: Kerala CM Requests Health Min To Allow AIIMS Aspirants To Get Centres In State

According to the minutes of the meeting chaired by the Director, AIIMS on Tuesday, it has been decided that six-hour shifts shall be maintained in the COVID-19 area, which would include the time for donning/doffing of PPE and handover/takeover in the wards by the nursing personnel.

"It was also decided to provide appropriate breaks and that 25 per cent of the nursing staff deployed in the COVID-19 area shall be rotated to the non-COVID-19 areas every two weeks."

"It was also accepted that given the daily increase in patient load, there may come a time when a large part of the entire institute will have to be converted into a COVID-19 hospital and deployment of nursing as well as other staff will have to be increased as would the working hours to meet the challenge."

"It was also agreed that given the working conditions in the COVID-19 areas, efforts should be made to further improve upon them through appropriate framing of duty roster, providing basic amenities etc," the minutes of the meeting read.

READ: 11 More Healthcare Workers At AIIMS Test Positive For COVID-19

(Image credits: PTI)