Latest news with #N.Subin
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Recruitment of contract staff nurses through DHS comes under fire
Facing huge vacancies across various posts, the Health department is now planning to fill up vacant posts of contract staff nurses through the District Health Society (DHS) on an 11-month contractual appointment basis. However, the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association has called this a deviation from existing norms, as contractual posts of nurses were so far filled with nurses recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB). An official communication referred to the meetings conducted by the Health Secretary with the respective heads of departments to review vacancies in various posts across the health directorates. The huge vacancy position in the post of staff nurse in each directorate was reviewed and concerns were expressed over addressing the issue without delay. Considering the huge number of vacancies in the posts of contract staff nurses, an instruction to explore filling up the posts on a contract basis through the DHS was issued. Temporary/scheme/contract posts of staff nurse, pharmacist, and lab technician grade III on a contract basis should be filled up through the DHS, as is being done for other categories of temporary/scheme/contract posts. District Health Officers (DHO) should take an estimate of all vacancies in the contract post of staff nurse, pharmacist and lab technician grade III sanctioned for National Health Mission (NHM), Tamil Nadu and take immediate steps to fill in a time-bound manner. They were told to strictly follow the contract norms while issuing appointment orders to the selected candidates on a contractual basis - contract appointment is for 11 months only and a declaration that the contractual appointment is purely temporary should be obtained. N. Subin, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association, said that until now, nurses recruited through the MRB were posted to the NHM's contract posts. 'Nurses, who qualify through MRB, are posted on a contractual basis. As per norms, those not below two years of service are brought to timescale pay as and when vacancies in regular posts arise. Instead of the usual procedure, the Health Department is now going to make contractual appointments for 11 months. There will be no permanency in posts if this materialises,' he said. In a statement issued, the association said there were nearly 4,000 vacant posts of contract nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians across all three directorates. The order issued by NHM, Tamil Nadu to fill these vacancies on an 11-month contractual basis through the DHS would affect the State's health sector. The association said that it is shocking that the department, despite a court order to reinstate nearly 700 nurses who were recruited through MRB for COVID-19, has gone ahead to fill the vacant posts through DHS instead of posting them. They demanded the State government to drop the move and recruit nurses and other staff through the MRB.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Nurses stage protest seeking regularisation of services, equal pay
Nurses affiliated to The Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association staged a demonstration in Chennai on Thursday, urging the State government to regularise the services of all nurses on consolidated pay, and to implement a court order granting equal pay for equal work. About 250 nurses from across the State took part in the protest. They urged the DMK government to fulfil its election promise to regularise the services of all nurses on consolidated pay. Of the 15,000 nurses who were recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) on consolidated pay, around 8,000 have been regularised so far. The nurses started off with a consolidated pay of ₹7,700 in 2015 and, after several protests, their pay was increased to ₹14,000 in 2018. In 2021, it was increased to ₹18,000 with an annual increment of 5%, according to N. Subin, general secretary of the association. Nurses on regular posts get a salary of nearly ₹60,000 in the city, while those on consolidated pay receive ₹18,000. The court order on equal pay for equal work should be implemented by the government. Similarly, another judgment granting maternity leave and benefits to nurses on consolidated pay should be implemented, he added. The association demanded that permanent posts of nurses should be created in accordance with the patient strength, following the recommendations of the National Medical Commission and Indian Public Health Standards. 'While new district headquarters hospitals are being established, no new posts of nurses are being created. Instead, nurses from other institutions are being diverted,' Mr. Subin said. All the nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whose services were terminated, should be reinstated, the association said. Among other demands, the association demanded the restoring of nursing superintendent grade 3 posts, and fixing of salaries for promotions at seven, 14, 20, and 25 years for nurses.
