Healthcare services across Maharashtra are facing massive disruption as over 30,000 nurses from government hospitals and health centres launched an indefinite strike, demanding the withdrawal of contractual recruitment policies and better working conditions. The strike, led by the Maharashtra State Nursing Association (MSNA), comes in response to a government decision issued on June 6 that continued the practice of hiring nurses on contract instead of permanent positions.
Nurses participating in the strike have raised strong objections to what they call an exploitative system. Their demands include permanent recruitment, salary revision in line with the 7th Pay Commission, increased allowances, stipends for nursing students, and the immediate filling of thousands of vacant nursing posts. The striking staff argue that the current contractual model results in unequal pay, job insecurity, and severe overwork due to widespread understaffing.
MSNA secretary Sumitra Tote, voicing the collective frustration of nurses, said, “We worked multiple shifts, took extra jobs, and still had no job security. This system needs to change.” She also highlighted the burden faced during the pandemic, when nurses were often forced to take on multiple roles while working under temporary and unstable conditions.
The strike, which started as a two-day protest, has evolved into a full-fledged state-wide shutdown of nursing services. In Pune, around 345 nurses from Sassoon General Hospital joined the strike, impacting new admissions and increasing pressure on existing medical staff. Though the hospital continued to offer emergency care, routine services were significantly affected.
In Nagpur, nurses from Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Mayo Hospital also stopped work, citing unresolved pay anomalies and a lack of staffing. The withdrawal of nursing services in these major hospitals led to postponement of surgeries and disruption in patient care. Negotiations with the state government have not yielded any results so far, and protesters claim that ministers have failed to engage in serious discussions.
The MSNA stated that the protest will continue indefinitely until the government issues a written assurance addressing their key demands.
