Kozhikode: Public health nurses and junior health inspectors have called off their strike on Wednesday against the police inaction to the assault at Thurayur Primary Health Centre following collector's intervention. The protest had triggered a slugfest between health workers and district medical officer (DMO) as Wednesday is the vaccination day. DMO Dr V. Jayashree had sent a circular to all the health centres that any staff off on duty on Wednesday should face the consequence.
“We called off the protest on the request of the district collector at a meeting held on Tuesday. He promised that the police would arrest the culprits in two days,” said Padmaja C.P., chairman of the Kerala Public Health Staff Action Council. Earlier, the 650-odd health workers, comprising nurses and JHIs had decided to go on with the strike in front of the collectorate, defying the DMO circular.
The incident occurred on August 23 at Thurayur PHC in Payyoli while administering the immunisation. A mother, her father and another man assaulted a nurse and another who came to her rescue, on the assumption that the woman’s 11-month old son caught fever after immunisation on July 19. “We want immediate arrest of the culprits who roam around freely, and we are on duty without safety and protection,” said Kerala Junior Public Health Nurses and Supervisors’ Union district president Deenamma Vargheese.
