MADURAI: Nearly 7,000 nurses who are working on contract basis in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu are waiting for State government’s decision to make their jobs permanent. An appeal was made to the Tamil Nadu government highlighting the demands of contract nurses who were recruited through competitive selection examination conducted by the Medical Services Recruitment (MRB) of Government of Tamil Nadu.
The State executive committee meeting of Tamil Nadu MRB Nurses Empowerment Association was held in Madurai on October 29th 2022 where four important demands concerning the contract nurses were discussed and resolutions were passed in this meeting which was chaired by association president K.Sasikala.
“Appointment orders were issued saying that those who were recruited as contract nurses through MRB exam since 2015 will be made permanent after completion of two years. But, in the last seven years, only 4,000 nurses have got permanent job and there are about 4,500 nurses still working on contract basis. Also, nearly 2,500 nurses selected through MRB in 2019 have been working on contract basis for last three years and it is our appeal to the State government to make them permanent immediately,” a press release received here today from the association general secretary N.Subin has said.
CREATE PERMANENT NEW POSTS:
Another resolution passed in this EC meeting in Madurai yesterday was for creating permanent posts for nurses. “As per the recommendation of Indian Public Health Standards and Medical Council of India, a meeting was held on 13th April 2022 held under the chairmanship of Health Secretary. Based on the number of beds and number of patients in government hospitals, medical college hospitals and PHCs, it was promised that new permanent posts will be created and the present contract nurses would be made permanent. It should be done immediately,” the association had urged the Tamil Nadu government meeting at its EC meeting in Madurai yesterday.
It also demanded that contract nurses should be paid equal pay equal salary as of permanent nurses because they are also doing equal work. About 2,500 nursing posts are vacant in public health department for last one and half years and the temporary contract nurses selected by MRB for corona COVID care work should be hired.
ACTION PLAN FOR NURSES:
The Tamil Nadu MRB Nurses Empowerment Association has announced its action plan to get their demands fulfilled. All nurses will write and send postcards to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on 3rd November 2022 stressing their demands. From November 12th to 20th, they will meet MLAs and MPs to represent their request.
On 16th December 2022, the association will hold protests and mass appeal in front of all district collectorates in the State to insist on their important demands. After that, if the government does not fulfill the demands, a mass protest will be held at Chennai DMS campus on 31st January 2023, the press
