KOZHIKODE: Private hospitals across North Kerala are struggling to maintain normal medical services as the ongoing strike by nurses demanding higher wages has triggered a severe shortage of staff. This has forced hospital administrations to rely heavily on postgraduate (PG) doctors to perform essential duties normally handled by nurses.
The crisis, which has intensified in recent weeks, has begun to significantly affect patient care across major districts including Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
Hospital authorities say hundreds of nurses have remained absent from duty as part of the strike demanding that the minimum salary be raised to Rs 40,000. Doctors working in private hospitals in Kozhikode said the situation has become increasingly difficult.
They said hospitals are facing circumstances where even patients who arrive at emergency departments are sometimes being turned away due to insufficient staff to handle admissions and provide adequate care.
Senior doctors said while PG doctors are medically trained and capable of assisting with clinical duties, the sudden shift in responsibilities has placed an enormous burden on young doctors who are already engaged in demanding clinical training and academic commitments.
The Private Hospital Management Association warned that if the basic salary for nurses is raised to Rs 40,000, hospitals may be forced to significantly increase treatment costs for patients in order to manage the additional financial burden. Doctors have urged authorities to ensure that emergency services are exempted from strike actions so that critically ill patients do not face life-threatening delays in treatment.
Meanwhile, nurses participating in the strike continued their protest on Tuesday in front of the Civil Station in Kozhikode. Some of the nurses said that the profession has long been undervalued despite the critical role they play in the healthcare system.
Amritha, a protesting nurse, said today almost every household has at least one nurse. “We will not gamble with the lives of patients, but we must be given the consideration we deserve,” she said.