The healthcare sector in Kerala, already stretched by the dengue epidemic and contagion fever on an unprecedented scale, could come under even more pressure from Monday.

A section of private hospital managements has said it has no option but to restrict operations to the bare minimum in the face of a threat by the restive nursing community to go on an indefinite strike.

NURSES' STRIKE

The latter has been on strike over the past two months demanding revision of minimum wages, prescribed by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court.

The striking nurses from private hospitals have said the Rs 17,200 suggested by the state government is not acceptable and insisted on the Rs 20,000 proposed by the Supreme Court.

Private hospital managements have already said the hike demanded is beyond their capacity.

This explains the decision to restrict services to just the emergency/ casualty cases and limited outpatient care 'purely in the interest of patient safety.'

This could severely hit healthcare services since 66 per cent of the people in the state visit private hospitals.

HARDENED STAND

The managements had initially run the hospitals by retaining a third of the nurses in hospitals, but hardened their stand after hearing about the indefinite strike plan by nurses.

These include the state unit of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India, Kerala Private Hospital Association, Association of Advanced Specialty Healthcare Institutions, and Qualified Private Medical Practitioners' Association.

They urged the state government to intervene in the matter in the interest of public health and persuade the nurses' unions to call off their strike.

Meanwhile, official statistics put the total number of confirmed dengue cases reported so far in the state at 11,229, while another 41,491 have been listed as probable dengue cases.

DENGUE DEATHS

Dengue has so far claimed 19 lives, with another 121 to be categorised as probable dengue deaths. At least 67 others have been listed as fever deaths.

Health Minister K.K. Shailaja has said the state government will not yield to pressure tactics from either the striking nurses or the hospital managements.

It is not the government's intention to crackdown on the nurses but make them see reason given the vulnerable healthcare situation and prevail on them to respond to the call for duty.

Shailaja said she largely sympathised with the strikers' demand for higher wages and that is why the government had agreed to raise the minimum wage from Rs 8,777 to Rs 17,700-Rs 23,000.

This would translate into monthly payout of up to Rs 20,036. But the striking nurses argued that this would not leave even Rs 10,000 with them after deductions under many heads.