Thiruvananthapuram, 04 March (H.S.): Nurses working in private hospitals across Kerala began a statewide strike on Wednesday, demanding the revision of minimum wages and better pay conditions. The protest, led by the United Nurses Association (UNA), is expected to disrupt services in hundreds of private healthcare institutions across the State.

As part of the strike, nurses have decided to withdraw from regular ward duties while continuing limited services in emergency departments. According to the organisers, only one-third of the nursing staff will remain on duty in emergency sections to ensure that critical patients continue to receive essential care.

In addition to the strike, the UNA has organised a protest march to the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram to press their demands before the government.

The association said the protest was triggered by the government’s failure to take a favourable decision on their long-standing demand to revise the minimum wage for nurses working in private hospitals. The striking nurses are demanding that the basic monthly salary be raised to ₹40,000.

The UNA estimates that thousands of nurses from nearly 490 private hospitals across Kerala will participate in the strike. The protest is expected to affect institutions ranging from small clinics to large multi-specialty hospitals.

With a significant portion of the nursing workforce boycotting duties, hospital operations across the State are likely to face disruptions. Routine inpatient care and ward services may be particularly affected as nurses remain absent from their scheduled shifts.

Leaders of the United Nurses Association said the government has been adopting a slow and indifferent approach to issues that nurses have been raising for years. They warned that unless the authorities intervene and address their demands, the agitation could escalate further.

The organisation added that the strike was not taken lightly but was necessary to secure fair wages and improved working conditions for thousands of nurses serving in Kerala’s private healthcare sector.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman