Protesting nurses at Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala on Friday. (Photo Credit: Express Photo)Health services across three major government medical colleges in Punjab continued to be affected on Friday as nurses recruited on or after July 17, 2020, pressed ahead with their indefinite strike despite the imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) since Wednesday evening.Talks between the government and the protesting nurses remained inconclusive on Friday afternoon. In the meantime, resident doctors, MBBS, nursing interns, and senior nursing staff were deployed in hospitals to manage the workload, keeping OPDs and OTs functional but stretching resources.The strike, under the banner of the Nurses Association of Punjab (UNAP), is underway at Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala; Government Medical College, Amritsar; and Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali. Around 40-50 per cent of the nursing workforce in each institution is estimated to be on strike.During a meeting in Chandigarh, Principal Secretary (Health) Kumar Rahul, along with Directorate Research and Medical Education (DRME) Director Dr Avnish Kumar and DRME Nodal Officer Preeti Padda, urged Union representatives to call off the strike.Jujhar Singh Mann, Patron, UNAP, said, “Officials cited the unavailability of principal secretary finance Showkat Ahmad Parray, who is on poll duty in West Bengal, and suggested fresh deliberations on the issue of grade pay after his return. However, the proposal failed to convince the union.The talks remained inconclusive, and we have decided to continue our strike. We are aware of the implications of ESMA, but we cannot step back now. Our voice cannot be suppressed when our demands are genuine.”Union leaders claimed nearly 1,500 nurses in these three medical colleges are affected by “pay anomaly”. According to them, nurses recruited on or after July 17, 2020, are being paid under Level 5 of the central pay scale, with a basic pay of Rs 29,200, instead of the demanded Level 7 scale with a basic pay of Rs 44,900.Story continues below this adJatinder Singh, Finance Secretary, UNAP, said, “I and many others were initially issued an appointment letter with a basic pay of Rs 44,900 in July 2020, which was revised to Rs 29,200 after seven months. Even after nearly six years of service, my basic pay is around Rs 39,000, whereas it should have started at Rs 44,900 plus allowances. All recruits from 2021 onwards have been given joining letters at Rs 29,200.”He added that the government’s reluctance stems from the financial implications. “The burden on the state exchequer would be around Rs 35-40 crore annually, and that is why they continue to pay us less and are buying time from us,” he alleged.Contingency measuresHospital administrations said contingency measures were in place to ensure continuity of essential services. At Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala, Medical Superintendent Dr Vishal Chopra said, “412 out of nearly 1,000 nurses were on strike. This means about 40 per cent of our workforce is unavailable. While the impact is significant, we are managing with interns and senior staff. All OPDs remained functional on Friday, and efforts are on to persuade the striking nurses to resume duty.”Sources indicated that if the strike continues, the strain on interns and senior staff could begin to impact services more visibly in the coming days.Story continues below this adNotably, nurses recruited prior to July 2020 have not joined the strike as they are drawing salaries under the Punjab pay scale, which is higher than Level 7 of the central pay structure. However, they have extended support to the protesters. “We are not on strike, but we support the demands of the United Nurses Association,” said Karamjit Kaur Aulakh, president of the Senior Nursing Staff Association at Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala.Despite the government invoking ESMA, the protesting nurses remain firm. “We understand the consequences, but we will not relent under pressure. Our demands are justified,” Mann reiterated.