AIZAWL, Aug 23: Hundreds of
trained nurses took to the streets here
today in a nationwide protest called
by the Trained Nurses’ Association of
India (TNAI) to press for fulfilment of
an 11-point charter of demands.
The Mizoram State branch of the
TNAI submitted a memorandum to
the State Government, demanding
salaries and allowances for all trained
nurses working under the State Government
on a par with those working
under the Central Government,
filling up of vacancies, appointment
of nurses in proportion to patients
and discontinuation of recruitment
of staff nurses on a contractual basis
or on minimum salaries.
“Wide and innumerable disparities of salaries of nurses in the States
seem to be irrelevant and thus all
States, including Mizoram, should
follow Central Government pay and
allowances of nurses for nurses recruited
in the State,” the memorandum
said.
Demanding filling up of posts, the
memorandum pointed out that there
are 107 posts for staff nurses, 40 for
ward superintendents, 11 for public
health nurses, 116 for health workers,
106 for health supervisors and 20
for health community officers lying
vacant under the State Government.
Association leaders pointed out
that trained nurses in private hospitals
were paid paltry salaries, drawing
Rs 250-350 per day.
The Mizoram unit of the TNAI had
filed a writ petition in the Supreme
Court in 2011, seeking welfare of
nurses by enhancing their salary
structure and working conditions.
The apex court issued a notice to
the Centre and all the State governments
in 2013, following which a committee
was constituted under the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare in
2016 to study the pay structure and
working conditions of nurses. The
committee, based on information collected
from the States, submitted a
report in June 2016, pointing out glaring
anomalies in the pay structure and
pathetic working conditions of nurses
across the country.
The nurses’ leaders said the committee
recommended that nurses
working in a 200-bed private hospital
should draw a salary on a par with that
drawn by nurses under the State Government
for a corresponding grade.
Working conditions such as leave,
working hours, medical facilities,
transportation and accommodation
should be on a par with the benefits
granted to State Government nurses
working in the respective States
and Union territories, they added.
They said the Mizoram Government
constituted an eight-member
expert committee on October 28,
2016 to formulate guidelines for the
benefit of nurses working in private
hospitals and institutions, but the
matter did not proceed further despite
repeated appeals. -Assam Tribune
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