Ma Su holds discussion with protesting nurses in Chennai

CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian met the protesting temporary government nurses at the DMS campus in Teynampet regarding their demand to be made permanent on Saturday.

At least 2,300 nurses were appointed at a salary of Rs. 14,000 in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic on a temporary basis. Their contract was renewed every six months and now the nurses are demanding a permanent appointment.

However, the government has said that they will be appointed on the available vacancies in the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Primary Health Centers, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam and District Health Society, with a salary hike to Rs. 18,000. It is unacceptable to the nurses and they demand permanent appointment in the respective preferred location since they are working in district headquarters hospital.

The nurses have been on a fast for the past two days and had a discussion regarding the same with the Health Minister on Saturday. They are protesting the employment under the District Health Society, National Health Mission and would continue to work under the state government. He looked into the contract signed by the nurses with the government.

However, the contract signed in 2020 was under the National Health Mission.

He said that the nurses can share the details on preferred locations by Monday and Tuesday. The nurses will be appointed in the respective districts on a contract basis and if there are vacancies in the DMS, these nurses will be given priority in the appointment. They cannot be given a permanent appointment, he said.

The nurses shall have another meeting with the minister in the next couple of days to conclude this issue. More available vacancies for nurses will be announced soon, he said. The Health Minister said that there are irregularities in the appointment of nurses and the same will be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister, in order to investigate the same through a committee.