New Delhi, 26th April 2022: The AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) suspended a nursing officer, Harish Kumar Kajla on Monday, for protesting over staff-shortage and misbehaving with the duty officer on Saturday.
Over 3000 nurses at the hospital led the protest in the main operation theatre over hospital staff shortage and safety of women nurses, which led to cancellation of over 50 surgeries, risking the lives of the patient.
Anita Panwar, President, All India Government Nurses Federation has supported Kajla stating that the hospital has taken the suspension decision without considering the entire incident.
She stated that the problem began with the hospital’s unusual OT timings. The nurses wanted the hospital to adjust the timing, to get the operation theatres started earlier than usual in the morning and night. As the safety of the women nurses was also at stake.
According to our sources at the hospital, Harish Kajla had started the strike to gain support for the upcoming society elections at the Hospital. In the beginning, he was heavily criticized by the hospital nurses for doing no work in their favour, which led him to raise the issue of staff shortage, unusual OT timings and security of the female staff.
“The strike are started without any prior notice to the hospital. Kajla shuts down the operations and sends an email to the administration about 2 hours after,” said the source.
As far as the video is concerned, the doctor he was seen shouting at, had come there for 15-20 minutes and asked about the documentation or prior notice about the strike. Since Kajla had no answers, out of rage he had fixed the cameraman outside the room and started hurling abuses, source added.
The video that has gone viral is only a part of it, it is not the full video. The hospital administration has the full video. They may use it in the future to bring out the truth, said the source.
Our sources also stated that Kajla had intentionally let the video to create a buzz in the social media, to show the union that he is working for their welfare and garner their votes for the upcoming elections. If he was so concerned about the welfare of the female nurses, he would have raised his voice much before, when in the covid period the female staff was working late hours.
“He protests every now and then. His intention is to get politically charged. Doctors are a part of the hospital administration. No matter if it is a doctor or a nurse, if they are misbehaved with, such consequences will come,” commented the source on the suspension of Kajla.
“The hospital is correct in their stance, they are working for the welfare of the nation, patients and the nurses as well. The suspension is not the result of the misbehavior with the doctor only. Kajla has been disrupting the environment of our hospital with continous strikes and unfriendly environment. The hospital administration, with the suspension, is only trying to ensure that in the future no such disruption takes place,” added the source.
“Now that AIIMS has suspended Kajla and opened a vacancy for the post, the strike might intensify as the issues will turn into a personal debacle. There are nurses who are working for the hospital as well. The union has no secure future, and they are only protecting their jobs,” said the source.
Kajla meanwhile has stated that AIIMS administration is undemocratic and the hospital will be held responsible for the consequences of the strike.
