Tweet
Leaders, NGOs call for Central bill to protect nurses
Thiruvananthapuram: Political leaders and NGOs have called for a Central legislation to protect nurses in the wake of their recent strike alleging harassment by authorities in a leading Mumbai hospital. The Mumbai nurses stir, called off yesterday after negotiations, is seen as an eye-opener by political parties and NGOs in Kerala, a state that accounts for the largest number of paramedics in the country. The nurses' agitation in Asian Heart Hospital in Bandra- Kurla was settled yesterday with Congress MPs from Kerala P T Thomas and Anto Antony taking the initiative.
The nurses were on strike from October 19, a day after one of their colleagues Beena Bebi, hailing from Kerala, allegedly committed suicide due to "continuous harassment" by the hospital authorities. CPM veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said it was high time that the Centre brought in an effective legislation to ensure good pay scales and service conditions for nurses in the private sector.
The party's central committee member and former state Health Minister P K Sreemathi said the plight of the Mumbai nurses was not an isloated case as paramedics in general were subjected to "exploitation and harassment". Welcoming the settlement of the Mumbai stir, Sreemathi said steps should be taken for the rehabilitation of nearly 200 nurses who had agreed to resign as part of the formula. T N Seema, leader of CPI(M)'s women wing AIDWA and Rajya Sabha Member, said she would raise the issue in the Winter session of Parliament.
"Nurses are treated like slaves by many hospital managements and there are no well-laid terms to govern their services and pay scales," Seema said. P K Thampi, member of Indian Nursing Council, said the regulator has clearly stipulated against practices like taking the qualification certificates from the employees as part of the bond conditions.
Thiruvananthapuram: Political leaders and NGOs have called for a Central legislation to protect nurses in the wake of their recent strike alleging harassment by authorities in a leading Mumbai hospital. The Mumbai nurses stir, called off yesterday after negotiations, is seen as an eye-opener by political parties and NGOs in Kerala, a state that accounts for the largest number of paramedics in the country. The nurses' agitation in Asian Heart Hospital in Bandra- Kurla was settled yesterday with Congress MPs from Kerala P T Thomas and Anto Antony taking the initiative.
The nurses were on strike from October 19, a day after one of their colleagues Beena Bebi, hailing from Kerala, allegedly committed suicide due to "continuous harassment" by the hospital authorities. CPM veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said it was high time that the Centre brought in an effective legislation to ensure good pay scales and service conditions for nurses in the private sector.
The party's central committee member and former state Health Minister P K Sreemathi said the plight of the Mumbai nurses was not an isloated case as paramedics in general were subjected to "exploitation and harassment". Welcoming the settlement of the Mumbai stir, Sreemathi said steps should be taken for the rehabilitation of nearly 200 nurses who had agreed to resign as part of the formula. T N Seema, leader of CPI(M)'s women wing AIDWA and Rajya Sabha Member, said she would raise the issue in the Winter session of Parliament.
"Nurses are treated like slaves by many hospital managements and there are no well-laid terms to govern their services and pay scales," Seema said. P K Thampi, member of Indian Nursing Council, said the regulator has clearly stipulated against practices like taking the qualification certificates from the employees as part of the bond conditions.
