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United Nurses Association (UNA) of Panjab began an indefinite statewide strike on 26 Mar impacting services in government medical colleges and hospitals in Patiala, Amritsar, and Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar. At Government Medical College, Amritsar, nurses boycotted all routine medical services, attending to only emergency cases. UNA president Ramanjit Singh Gill said nurses at medical colleges in the three cities had joined the strike, demanding restoration of the earlier grade pay which amounts to USD 1,025 per month. A 2021 order had slashed the paygrade to half. UNA chairperson Arti Bali said Panjab is the only state where nurses were paid less. The nurses defied the Panjab government’s imposition of the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA) on 25 Mar to strike. ESMA prohibits nursing staff and other essential medical personnel from going on strike or abstaining from duties and warns of strict penal action against violators. Resident doctors, nursing interns, and senior nursing staff were deployed in hospitals to manage the workload, keeping Outpatient Departments, and Operation Theatre’s functional. Additionally, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers have been protesting across Panjab demanding Employees’ Provident Fund and a minimum monthly salary of USD 253 amongst other issues. On 14 Mar ASHA workers had gathered at Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib in SAS Nagar and marched towards Chandigarh to press for their demands regarding Employees’ Provident Fund and a minimum monthly salary of USD 253 amongst other issues. But police used water canons on them to stop their march. Additionally, the Panjab government has released USD 13.51M into the bank accounts of women to support their health during pregnancy and after childbirth. Amritsar District Planning Committee Chairman Gurpratap Singh Sandhu said that more than 289K women across Panjab have benefited from the scheme so far. Women receive USD 53 for their first child and if the second child is a girl, the state provides a one-time financial assistance of USD 64 to encourage the birth of girl-child. Concurrently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) commuted a rape convict’s death penalty involving a minor girl to an unusual 50 years in prison. While passing the judgment, PHHC strongly criticized the failure of society in educating men about other genders and ‘making them perverts’ (earlier coverage).
ASHA workers protest in Tarn Taran Photo by The Tribune
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