Recruitment of nurses to serve in COVID-19 ward
Foul cry raised over Rs 273 daily wage
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 15 2020: A nurses' recruitment notice of the Jawaharlal Nehru of Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) has drawn sharp criticism from the Trained Nurses Association of India prompting it to caution the authority concerned of legal actions.

JNIMS had issued a notice to recruit nurses to serve at COVID-19 Ward (ATC Block) for three months on fixed daily wage-Rs 273 per day.

Terming the recruitment of nurses on daily wage basis as an "insult" to the nurses and nursing profession, TNAI in its letter to the Director JNIMS pointed out that as per the fixed wage, the maximum salary for one month amounts to only Rs 6,825 (25x273) which is much below the minimum of Rs 20,000 per month salary fixed by the Supreme Court even for private clinics.

The TNAI pointed out that a committee constituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, following a case TNAI filed in the Supreme Court, had recommended that the salary of a nurse working in a hospital with 200 or more beds shall be the same as that of the State Government Hospitals.

According to the committee, in case of 101-200 bedded hospitals, the salary shall be 10% lesser than that of the State Government hospitals.

50-100 bedded hospitals have to pay a salary of 25% lesser than that of the State Government hospitals.

Further, in 0-50 bedded hospitals or nursing homes, a minimum salary of Rs 20,000 should be paid to the nurses, according to the committee, said TNAI adding it is shocked that the fixed salary according to the recruitment notice is much lesser than the minimum monthly salary fixed by the Supreme Court, even for private clinics.

As it is a Government recruitment, the nurses should be paid an amount equal to the starting salary of a regular staff nurse in Government service in Manipur, said the TNAI.

Urging the JNIMS authority to consider the Supreme Court order and recommendations of the MoHFW committee, TNAI also appealed for proper transportation services, accommodation with food and health insurance for the nurses in contact with suspected COVID-19 cases.

"...even though temporary appointment in a crisis situation like corona pandemic may be necessary, appointing professionals like nurses on a daily wage is actually an insult to nurses and nurses' profession, especially in the year of nurses and midwife declared by World Health Organisation," said the TNAI.

It will be forced to take legal actions if its appeals are not heard, said TNAI.

Comment