Ranchi, April 29: Nearly 100 nurses of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) today went on strike, affecting services at the premier institute. They demanded immediate appointment of nurses, who have already been selected.

The Rims administration pressed into service 110 student nurses even as the first round of talks between Trained Nurses’ Association of India (TNAI) and health minister Dinesh Sarangi failed.

The nurses have been on war path for more than a year and have been threatening to boycott work. Since 2002, they went on wildcat strikes more than five times and withdrew their agitation after assurance from the Rims administration.

Besides, they have also staged several dharnas. “But now, the situation has become unbearable and so we have have been forced to strike work,’’ said an office-bearer of the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), Rims unit.

A TNAI delegation met Sarangi this morning and apprised him of their problems. Sarangi asked the nurses to “have patience” as the government was committed to solving their problems “soon”.

“The selection process of nurses is complete and the department is trying to remove the hurdles from the way of their appointment. The work was been delayed due to a series of holidays,” he told the delegation.

He said their genuine demands will be looked into. But the nurses said they will not accept anything less than a written order in this regard.

”The government has failed to take solve our several problems. There are

only about 100 nurses and nine sisters in-charge in the 991-bed

hospital, which is very much below the requirement. According to the

nursing and health manuals, there should be at least one trained nurses

for three patients and sister in-charge for 25 patients,” the TNAI

official told The Telegraph.

As reported by The Telegraph earlier, the selection process of 516

nurses suffered a setback after medical education secretary Rajbala

Varma reporteldy wrote to the RIMS administration asking it to stop the

entire process till further orders. Varma reportedly wanted to know

whether the posts for which the tests and interviews were being held,

were sanctioned by the government and who ordered for the appointment.

Interestingly, the decision to appoint nurses on contractual basis was

taken by the medical education department itself but before joining

Rajbala as the secretary. The RIMS administration, sources said, have

furnished all the relveant details to the department. But yet the nurses

have not been able to join their duty.

A TNAI official said: “As a result of the shortage, nurses are facing

unprecendented work load which is badly affecting our efficiency and

also the patient care in the hospital. The government has converted the

hospital into a super speciality one whtihout adequate number of

nurses?”

”The nurses are also upset with the state for not giving nursing

allowance from the Bihar government till July 2000. After the Fifth Pay

Commission, nurses are to be given Rs 1,600 as nursing allowance. The

Jharhand government giving neither food nor the nursing allowance,” the

TNAI official said.

She also alleged that they were not being paid the dress allowance and

washermen allowance, according to the commission's recommendations.

EoM

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