Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan on Thursday called on the nurses who are holding a strike in Thrissur. Their demands include reinstatement of their colleagues who were suspended by the hospital management. Achuthanandan called on them in front of the Mother Hospital where the nurses are holding a sit-in protest.
The leader also held talks with the hospital management. Discussions to redress the nurses’ grievances are taking place at various levels. The district collector and a high court-appointed mediation team are at work to resolve the crisis.
On Wednesday, police had forcefully removed and arrested dozens of nurses who blockaded the hospital. Several nurses and a few policemen were injured in the scuffle.
Some of the state’s cultural leaders and political outfits like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Democratic Youth Federation of India have offered support for the nurses’ cause. Congress leader VM Sudheeran has requested chief minister Oommen Chandy to get involved in the matter and resolve the nurses’ complaints.
The United Nurses’ Association has warned that it would widen the scope of the strike across the state if its demands are not addressed early.
