Clinical and other services at the PGI saw limited effect of the mass leave call given by the PGI Employees’ Union.

Nursing and resident doctors were deployed in some departments of the new OPD block, including sample collection counters, in the absence of medical technologists and paramedical staff. Today being a Saturday, the rush in the OPDs was relatively less and the burden of the work was taken care of, said PGI officials.

The scheduled surgeries were performed on time and there was no impact on the Emergency and ICUs as enough staff had been deployed at these departments.

“We have deployed nurses wherever required, which is why there has been little impact of the strike. Of the 6,000 employees, only 80 were found to be absent,” said PGI spokesperson Manju Wadwalkar. The union, however, claimed that nearly 1,000 employees joined the protests.

The 24-hour strike had been called in wake of the nationwide protest by health workers to impress upon the Centre to fulfill their three demands, including enhancement of patient care allowance and abolition of contract labour in health sector.