QUETTA: The provincial health department suspended classes of trainee nurses and called them out for performing duties in government-run hospitals in place of nursing staff whose strike for better pay and facilities entered sixth day on Saturday.

A health department notification said that classes at the Nursing College and School in Quetta would remain suspended and all under-training student nurses would perform duties in government hospitals till further order.

“They will perform duties in three shifts — morning, evening and night — in place of striking nursing staff,” the notification said.

The striking nursing staff had earlier refused to follow health department’s orders and announced continuing their protest till acceptance of their demands, including increase in the allowance of under-training students/nurses from Rs 10,000 to Rs20,000.

Addressing a rally outside the press club, their leaders Gulfam Kakar and Emilia William said that instead of solving nurses’ problems, the health department had started transferring protesting nurses.

They said the leadership of the protesting nurses was invited for negotiation by health department officials who offered them far less than their demands. When they refused to call off the strike until acceptance of their demands, they were transferred to far-flung areas in the province.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2017