Punjab Nursing Strike Defies ESMA Order, Enters Third Day of Disruption
The indefinite nursing strike across Punjab's government medical colleges has entered its third consecutive day, with more than 1,500 nurses openly defying a state government order invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). The United Nurses Association (UNA) of Punjab has maintained its protest, severely disrupting health services at three major government facilities.
Widespread Impact on Patient Care and Hospital Operations
The strike has comprehensively affected Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals in Patiala, Amritsar, and Mohali. While outpatient departments continued to function, inpatient care experienced severe disruptions. The impact was particularly acute at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, a crucial tertiary referral center, where approximately 500 nurses participated in the strike.
Emergency services at Rajindra Hospital, which typically deploy 25 nurses, operated with only five staff members. Life-critical units including the labor room, neonatal nursery, women and child department, and neurology inpatient department were badly affected. Patients referred from Mata Kaushalya Hospital and peripheral facilities bore the brunt of the service disruptions.
Government Rajindra Hospital normally provides inpatient services for around 990 patients daily, with outpatient departments handling approximately 3,200 patients. The facility contains about 1,150 beds, including those in the super-specialty hospital, with occupancy remaining almost full across most departments including medicine, chest and TB, eye, ENT, orthopedics, and others.
Hospital Administration's Emergency Measures
Dr. Vishal Chopra, Medical Superintendent at Government Rajindra Hospital, explained the contingency measures being implemented. "Approximately 600 nursing staff are currently on strike, but we are managing services through our nursing interns and final-year nursing students working under guidance," he stated. "Similarly, we have requested three private colleges to provide us with nursing interns and final-year students to help maintain essential services."
Root Cause: The Grade Pay Dispute
The strike stems from a 2021 state government decision that reclassified nursing staff from Level-7 (Grade Pay Rs 4,600) to Level-5 (Grade Pay Rs 2,800). This reclassification reduced entry-level monthly salaries by Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000, representing nearly a 50 percent cut. Nurses have highlighted that their counterparts in neighboring Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh (Union Territory) receive the Rs 4,600 Grade Pay, which represents the standard under the 7th Central Pay Commission.
Currently, a nurse in Punjab draws approximately Rs 29,200 per month. Jhujhar Singh, Patron of UNA Punjab, emphasized the association's determination. "It is only in Punjab where nursing staff receive this low pay. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we gave our absolute best. Our protest will continue indefinitely until the Rs 4,600 Grade Pay is restored," he declared. The UNA has indicated it may seek solidarity from other nursing cadres across the state to strengthen their position.
Failed Negotiations and Government Response
A government panel held talks with union leaders on Friday, but the meeting concluded without resolution. Union members reported that the panel disclosed a Special Finance Secretary, who is part of a three-member committee formed to examine the nurses' demands, would only return on May 4. The government requested suspension of the strike until that date, but the union declined.
Arti Bali, president of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nursing Union Patiala and Chairperson of UNA, expressed frustration with the government's approach. "The government has already admitted in high-level meetings that our demand is legally and morally justified. Yet they invoke ESMA instead of issuing the correction order," she stated.
A Last Resort After Years of Petitioning
UNA state president Ramanjit Singh Gill described the strike as a final measure after five to six years of petitions to successive governments. The ESMA notification, issued late on March 25, just one day before the scheduled strike, has been openly defied by the nursing community. While emergency services continue with skeletal staff, the union has warned that the crisis will intensify unless the government formally restores the Rs 4,600 Grade Pay without further delay.
The ongoing strike represents a significant challenge to Punjab's healthcare system, with nurses demonstrating remarkable solidarity in their demand for pay parity with neighboring states. The situation remains tense as both sides maintain their positions, with patient care continuing to suffer at three of Punjab's most important government medical facilities.
