Nurses withdraw hunger strike

BANGALORE: Hundreds of nurses from across the state, who were on an indefinite hunger strike from the last eight days in support of their demands, including the regularisation of their services at Freedom Park in the city, called off their strike on Wednesday.In the morning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar met the agitating nurses and appealed them to end their fast promising that the government would look into their demands.After a protracted discussion, the nurses agreed to end their stir provided the government meets their demands before March 10. They would once again go on hunger strike if the demands are not met, they threatened. The protesters were holding dharna under the aegis of Karnataka State Contract Health Workers’ (Staff Nurses) Association.Speaking to Express, Manjunath A T, President of the Association said, “We have called off our protest till March 10 as the Law Minister has assured us to regularise our services with an month.”There are 4,700 staff nurses working in various Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), taluk hospitals and district hospitals across the state.