Stir cripples Nanavati

Mumbai, February 5: Only a handful of patients remain in the 450-bed Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle W. With the manual, clerical and adm...

Mumbai, February 5: Only a handful of patients remain in the 450-bed Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle W. With the manual, clerical and administrative staff going off on a mass casual leave8217;, hospital authorities have had no other option but to discharge the patients.Hospital employees resorted to the leave agitation8217; 8212; which entered its third day today 8212; to protest against the management8217;s recruitment policy.

With the more than 1,000 employees in the hospital staying away from work, hospital authorities have decided that discharging patients is a better option than to make them suffer unclean wards, poor services and an assortment of problems that crop up with any strike. However, union leaders have allowed nurses to attend to emergency cases, say doctors.

According to Sister Kunda Rana, president of the hospital union, the management did not keep its word regarding recruitments. 8220;When they inaugurated a heart unit some six months back, they employed anyone they wanted, without consulting the union,8221;she said. The management did not give preference to the children of its workers and instead employed people through walk-in-interviews, which has never been done before, she added.

When the union had protested the management explained that the workers were appointed as trainees and could be removed at any time, said Uday Shringare, union secretary. However, these workers were put on probation three days ago, which sparked off the union8217;s protest. Besides, some workers appointed then were given promotions, he added. 8220;Trustees should not interfere with labour matters. And till a solution is found, the newly-appointed officers should not be allowed to work,8221; Shringare said, adding that the union was however not seeking termination of the workers8217; services.

The patients have taken the brunt of the deadlock between the management and the union. Serious cases have been transferred to other hospitals. Asif Mullah, advisor to the hospital on legal matters and industrial relations, said, 8220;Our doctors have beenadvising patients to move out.8221; Patients have been moved out to Hinduja, Lilavati and Cooper hospitals, among others. No new patients are being admitted. Mullah informed. 8220;Only some 20 patients are in the hospital now,8221; he said adding that with no ward boys around maintaining hygiene has been another problem. However, the union has allowed ward boys to clean up maternity wards and labs,said a doctor. Lambasting the workers, Mullah said that patients have lost faith in the hospital, as the union keeps going on strike.

The union led by Sharad Rao has been holding talks with the management. While the next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, the union has already served a notice informing that if their demands are not met the workers will go on a legal strike8217; from February 17.