Sanathnagar ESIC Hospital Nurses Threaten Indefinite Strike From July 22 Over Transfers
Nursing officers at the ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, are preparing for a series of protests and an indefinite strike starting July 22 over disputed annual general transfer orders and local administrative grievances. The protest schedule, announced by the All India ESIC Nursing Officers’ Federation, directly affects the Telangana facility, where at least eight nursing officers have been named in the recent transfer list.
The agitation is scheduled to begin with black badge protests from July 16 to 18. Following this, the nursing officers plan to hold demonstrations on July 20 and go on a mass casual leave on July 21. If the administration does not withdraw the transfer orders, the nursing officers will launch an indefinite strike on July 22, which could disrupt medical services at the Sanathnagar facility.
In a formal representation sent to the Union Labour Ministry, the federation claimed that the transfers of assistant nursing superintendents, senior nursing officers, and nursing officers violated established guidelines. The federation alleged that the decisions were made without following objective criteria, tenure norms, or the provisions of the existing transfer policy. Furthermore, they stated that previous assurances to consider transfers on a request basis against vacancies were not honoured.
The federation emphasized that the current transfer exercise has caused severe hardship to the employees and their families. It noted that women staff members have been particularly affected by being posted to distant locations across the country. The federation has demanded the immediate withdrawal of these transfer orders.
This dispute follows a separate 14-day strike notice issued by the ESIC Nursing Officers’ Union in Telangana. The local union highlighted severe administrative issues at the Sanathnagar medical college and hospital, including allegations of administrative harassment, critical shortages of medical and surgical supplies, inadequate drinking water, poor sanitation facilities, and unresolved staff grievances.
