Lahore: protesting nurses split into two groups

LAHORE: A large number of nurses who staged a sit-in on Tuesday finally split into two groups after midnight, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Sources said that a group of the nurses announced to end their sit-in while the other insisted on continuing with the protest until their demands were met.

The protesting nurses did not accept any verbal assurance by provincial authorities.

The nurses under the banner of Young Nurses Association (YNA) held a protest rally from Club Chowk to Egerton Road on Tuesday and staged a sit-in against the government’s ‘anti-nursing policies’ which caused restlessness among the nursing community in the province.

Earlier, the nurses from all public sector hospitals of Lahore boycotted their duties, except in emergency wards, and gathered at 7 Club Road and then marched towards Egerton Road to protest against the sacking of nursing employees as well as non-regularisation of nurses in Punjab.

Braving the drizzle, the nurses remained steadfast and continued protest while holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands. They chanted slogans against the government for not giving the nurses rights.

The traffic remained blocked during the protest which caused great inconvenience to the motorists.

A large contingent of police provided security to the nurses during their protest which continued for more than six hours.

The nurses informed the media that Punjab Health Department was using delaying tactics in fulfilling the demands of job security to the nurses working on contract and ad hoc basis as well as those who had completed their qualifications from private institutions or other provinces.

Besides, they said that the health department was also reluctant to give assurance on regularisation of the nurses.

The nurses had withdrawn their services from OPD and indoor wards, which badly affected the patient care in hospitals. However, they continued emergency cover in hospitals.