NRHM doctors, medical staff call off stir

Mumbai: Doctors, nurses and medical staff working with the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), who had called for an indefinite strike to press for their job-related demands and even begun a march from Nashik to Mumbai, called off their strike on Friday after their leaders met the state health minister, Dr Deepak Sawant and state finance minister Sudhir Mungatiwar. According to the protesters, the ministers assured their representatives that their issues would be sorted within three months.

Around 24,000 workers, including doctors, were on strike since May 7. The protesters have threatened to again go on strike if the government did not consider their demands within three months, as assured by the two ministers.

Their demands include filling up of vacancies, state jobs for workers and permanent jobs for postgraduates providing medical services.

Talking to The Asian Age, NRHM president Dr Nandkishor Kasar said, “We have met both ministers, the meetings started late evening. In the meeting, assurances were given to us that the vacant posts would be filled soon and within three months, our other demands would be dealt with.”

Health minister Dr Sawant said, “We had a meeting with the representatives and the strike has been called off. The need of the hour is that health services should not get affected. We have discussed their demands and we need time for meeting them. We will consider their justified demands.”