Contract nurses warn of strike over five-month salary dues in Hyderabad hospitalsNearly 160 contract nurses hired during the Covid pandemic have not received salaries for five months and staged a dharna at the DME office in Hyderabad. Led by senior office-bearers of AITUC, the contract nursing staff demanded immediate release of their salaries. We demand immediate release of pending salaries,” M Narasimha, the State Deputy General Secretary of AITUC, said. After the Covid pandemic, all the contract nurses were transferred to Niloufer Hospital, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, ENT Hospital, Koti Maternity Hospital and Osmania General Hospital. They accused health department officials of neglecting their duties and deliberately delaying salary payments and warned of an indefinite strike.