AIIMS Nurses Union Strike Called off as Alarmed Delhi HC Directs Protesting Nurses to Rejoin Duties

Delhi AIIMS Nurses union began an indefinite strike on Tuesday after its President Harish Kajla was suspended by the hospital administration, demanding the rollback of the action and stopping any kind of measures against union executives and union members of main OT.

New Delhi: The AIIMS Nurses Union has called off its indefinite strike after the Delhi High Court stepped in and directed them to ensure that its members rejoin their duties with immediate effect, following which the union called off its indefinite strike. Hearing the plea filed by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) regarding the strike, a bench of Justice Yashwant Varma listed the matter for a detailed hearing on Wednesday morning while noting that the nurses “must place the interest of patients above and beyond” their dispute with the administration.

The Nurses Union, in a statement, said: “In the view of Hon. Delhi High Court directive, a meeting of available union executives and ad-hoc members has been held on April 26 at 8.30 p.m. to discuss about the course of action. It has been decided to call off the ongoing indefinite strike and to continue the agitation and protest by other modes as the Hon. Delhi High Court directed to rejoin for duties.”

During the course of the hearing, counsel Satya Ranjan Swain, appeared for AIIMS, submitted that the indefinite strike is not in the public interest and termed it illegal.

Observing the alarming trend of nursing officers and other essential workers deputed in AIIMS going on strike, the court also said the development resulted in the cancellation of various emergency operations and has seriously crippled its functioning.

The union began an indefinite strike on Tuesday after its President Harish Kajla was suspended by the hospital administration, demanding the rollback of the action and stopping any kind of measures against union executives and union members of main OT.

Kajla was suspended on Monday night in connection with the April 22 incident of disrupting OT patient services.

(With Agency Inputs)