Nurses strike: Planned surgeries in Mumbai's JJ Hospital down to 22 from 70 on Monday

JJ Hospital. File Photo

Planned surgeries at the state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai were brought down to a third of the normal count as a strike by nurses entered the fifth day on Monday, a senior official of the premier facility said.

Dean Pallavi Saple said JJ Hospital conducts 65-70 planned surgeries per day on average, but only 22 could be performed on Monday due to a shortage of nurses.

She added that nursing students have been roped in to bridge the gap so that patients are not inconvenienced.

Over 15,000 nurses in state government-run hospitals are on strike, including 1,500 in Mumbai, a functionary of the Maharashtra State Nurses Association had said.

The MSNA went on a two-day strike on May 26-27 to protest against the state government's decision to hire nurses on contact through a private agency. It has also been demanding education and nursing allowance that is provided by the Centre and some other state governments.

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