Pune, 23 July 2025: Health services at Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital have been significantly affected as 340 nurses joined the ongoing state-wide strike called by the Maharashtra State Nurses Association. The strike, now in its seventh day, has led to postponement of several scheduled surgeries and a noticeable decline in the number of admitted patients and functioning treatment units.
The protest is centred around unresolved salary discrepancies under the 7th Pay Commission and the continued use of contractual recruitment practices in government hospitals. Nurses across Maharashtra have participated in the agitation, demanding concrete action from the state government. Despite several days of disruption, authorities have yet to reach a resolution.
In response, the Sassoon Hospital administration has deployed 130 trainee nurses from the BSc Nursing College to support ongoing healthcare operations. Additionally, the hospital had requested 50 nursing students each from various private medical colleges. So far, one college has provided 48 students, with efforts continuing to mobilize more.
While critical and outpatient services remain operational, inpatient care and new admissions have been scaled down. The strike has especially affected elective surgeries, many of which have now been postponed.
According to Dr. Yellappa Jadhav, the hospital’s medical superintendent, the strike has impacted specific services such as elective procedures and admissions. However, emergency care and outpatient departments are functioning normally.
The president of the nurses’ association’s Pune branch, Arifa Shaikh, confirmed that the strike will not be withdrawn until their demands are met.