Kumar's marathon meeting with the hospital authorities and senior nursing staff did not yield any result, reportedly due to his refusal to meet all the agitating nurses for talks. He wanted to speak to a representative instead.

"The government has to listen to all of us. They cannot go on depriving us. If they want us to work in the outdoor department and the operating theatres, then they must recruit us there, and not just as bedside staff," said a group of the protesters.

The agitation has brought hospital services to a standstill, leaving the authorities with no choice but to cancel all surgeries and refuse admission of patients in the outdoor department, as well as for emergency surgery.

With a large number of patients being turned away from RG Kar, the other state-run hospitals are under pressure.

"Today, we received a number of patients who had initially been to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital," said a senior doctor of the NRS Medical College and Hospital.

The nurses started their agitation on Wednesday to protest the "indifferent attitude of the authorities".

"A colleague was showcaused on Tuesday for no fault of hers. To protest the injustice, we have decided not to work in non-sanctioned zones, like operating theatres, labour rooms and the outdoor department," said Anuradha Pal, in-charge of the operating theatre of the eye surgery department and a leader of the agitation.

She pointed out that only posts of bedside nurses are sanctioned at the hospital. If the nurses did not work in the other zones, no one could hold them responsible for impeding hospital services.

The face-off between the nurses and the authorities started after Momina Khatun, nurse in-charge of the oncology department, was showcaused on May 6 for "illegally occupying" the storeroom of the department.