Protests: Nurses split over talks with govt

LAHORE:

The Young Nurses’ Association (YNA) has developed a split over whether or not to negotiate with the Health Department.

On Wednesday, a group of YNA members announced they were ending their protest sit-in after receiving an assurance from the Health Department that ad hoc nurses would be welcome to re-join work.

Many nurses working on contracts, however, refused to accept the negotiations and said they would not end the sit-in until a notification was issued in that regard.

YNA President Rozeena Manzoor said the department had agreed to accept their demands.

“We are getting threats from the hospital administrations and the YNA to call off the protest but we will not end it.

We have nominated our own representatives,” said Madeeha, a nurse from Children’s Hospital.

On Wednesday, the third day of the sit-in, a number of nurses who had served on ad hoc basis and had been terminated continued their protest.

“These nurses have no connection with the YNA.
They don’t even know that it is mentioned in their appointment orders.

They can be regularised only by the Punjab Public Service Commission,” said YNA President Rozeena Manzoor. The protests will enter the fourth day on Thursday if the split continues.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2014.