Bhubaneswar: With the agitation of the contractual nurses entering eight day in the state, the All Odisha Contractual Nurses’ Association (AOCNA) today took a dig at the state government for pressing the students of different nursing schools into the health service to overcome the health crisis in the state.

“The health department, instead of discussing with the contractual nurses, has pressed the nursing students, who have no experience on patients care, in government hospitals and medical colleges,” said AOCNA President Gangadhar Panigrahi.

He, however, said that the nurses will join their duty if they are allowed to meet the chief minister within the two days. Following the indefinite strike by the contractual nurses demanding regularisation of their jobs, health service has completely jeopardised in various government hospitals and medical colleges in the state.

In order to tide over the crisis, the state government has engaged some nursing students to look after the patients. The Association warned that the government and the concerned district administrations will be responsible for any untoward incident in the event of any casualty in the hospitals. Meanwhile, the finance department, with the recommendation from the health department, has expedited the process for creation of post for recruitment of nurses. The department is likely to move the file to the chief minister’s office for final approval on Monday.