Vasanti Nair in Surat
SURAT: For the past three decades, this ‘florence nightingale’ of Surat has been a pillar of support to the caregivers of New Civil Hospital. But when it came to the battle times with the pandemic, Vasanti Nair, head nurse at NCH showed her steely grit behind the starched uniform. Despite contacting Covid twice in the past one year, the ‘unputdownable’ 53-year-old returned to duty on Monday, two days before International Nurses Day.
Nair, a patient of thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis, has been on medication for many years now. She has, however, refused to to take a break till the coronavirus wave is controlled. Her daughter too suffered from Covid twice.
Protesters blocking superintendent’s building entrance removed
Surat: Scores of contract workers at the New Civil Hospital (NCH) went on strike on Wednesday demanding payment of wages outstanding for last three months.
The workers included sweepers, ward boys, cooks, medical helpers, lab technicians, etc, who also gheraoed the office of the NCH superintendent and blocked the entry of the building. Sources said that the workers had been repeatedly requesting the authorities to pay their outstanding wages.
In wake of the strike, patients in the emergency department had to be shifted to the SMC-run SMIMER hospital by the 108 staff, added sources.