Shillong: Nurses at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences have hit the brakes on their protest. The NEIGRIHMS Nurses Association pushed back a planned mass casual leave strike for seven working days. The move follows a Tuesday sit-down with hospital brass. The protest was originally set for September 9.
NNA president Remeena Khuraijam stated the delay gives the administration space to lobby the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It also aligns with an upcoming Governing Council meeting. Khuraijam insists this is no surrender. The union wants action. The association expects “meaningful, concrete and time-bound action” during this window.
The nurses demand the immediate filling of all open Nursing Officer posts. They want to kill the proposal to outsource these roles. They also demand the implementation of an official memorandum dated May 30, 2026, and a fast-tracked recruitment exam. These issues remain unresolved.
The union previously staged black badge protests on August 17 and daily dharnas through August 21. Authorities blocked a planned rally that same day using Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. NNA leaders previously met with Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla and Director Prof (Dr) Nalin Mehta on August 19. They left that meeting empty-handed. If the administration fails to deliver, the indefinite strike begins September 17.
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