Nurses hired on contract basis in government hospitals and primary health centres all across Tamil Nadu, went on a day long fast on Nov 5th demanding regularisation. In addition, they were demanding increase in staff strength in accordance with the norms prescribed by the Medical Council of India. The protest was organized under the banner of the Tamil Nadu Contract Nurses Association.
Nurses hired on contract basis in government hospitals and primary health centres all across Tamil Nadu, went on a day long fast on Nov 5th demanding regularisation. In addition, they were demanding increase in staff strength in accordance with the norms prescribed by the Medical Council of India. The protest was organized under the banner of the Tamil Nadu Contract Nurses Association. The agitation was launched at Chepauk,Chennai and throughout the day there was a constant presence of around 150 to 200 nurses at the site of the protest.
There are over 3500 contract nurses who work in public health sector across Tamil Nadu. Most of the nurses have been working in government hospitals for five to seven years on contractual positions. They were promised that their positions will be made permanent after two years of service, however this has not happened. The nurses get paid between Rs 7,000 to 8,000 per month and get a day off for every 6 days of work. They are not paid any overtime, although they end up doing multiple shifts due to extreme short staffing especially in primary health centres.
Primary health centres work on 3 shifts of 8 hours each. These centres have precisely three nurses, one for each shift. In addition to strenuous workload that they face during their shifts, if the nurses from one shift are absent then other nurses have to work overtime and do not get paid. Thus one of the demands of the protesters was increase in the staff strength, especially in primary health centres. They are demanding that the number of nurses in these centres be increased from three to six.