MUMBAI, July 23 -- In the midst of a statewide indefinite strike by over 45,000 government nurses, the Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA) has deployed 10-member emergency squads across its 47 branches to ensure that critical surgeries are not affected. Each squad operates in two 12-hour shifts , from 8 am to 8 pm and vice-versa, providing vital support to government hospitals struggling with a shortage of trained nursing staff. The strike, which began last Thursday, is in response to the state government's June 6 decision to recruit nurses on a contractual basis. Demanding a halt to contractual appointments, MSNA is pressing for filling of vacant posts (which currently stand at nearly 50% of sanctioned positions), and increased allowances and promotions for staff. Despite suspending routine services, MSNA clarified that emergency medical care remains a priority. "This is to ensure that no critically ill patient suffers due to our strike. We are committed to patient care, but we will not call off the strike until our demands are addressed," said Ram Suryawanshi, state treasurer of the MSNA. On its first day of operation, the emergency squad played a critical role in saving a patient at Latur's Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College. The hospital contacted MSNA at 9.23 pm on Monday, seeking help for a patient who needed an emergency decompression craniotomy after an accident led to severe damage to his brain. By 7.30 the next morning, two specially trained nurses had been dispatched, and the surgery was successfully completed by 3 pm. The hospital's neurosurgery department later sent a letter of appreciation to the association for its prompt response. MSNA has officially written to all departments in government hospitals, offering the services of its emergency squads for intensive care and life-saving surgeries. Meanwhile, the prolonged strike is taking a toll on hospital operations across the state. At St George's Hospital, at least four planned surgeries had to be postponed due to a shortage of nursing staff. "We are still relying on nursing students for managing the surgeries," said Vinay Sawadekar, medical superintendent of the hospital. "To recruit contractual nurses for the time being is up to the state government. It is very difficult to conduct surgeries and manage things without the nursing staff." Despite the stalemate, neither the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) nor the public health department has held talks with the striking nurses, intensifying frustration within the medical community. DMER officials did not respond to calls or texts from HT....