GMCH Chandigarh faces staff shortage, nurses demand filling of 182 vacant posts

Chandigarh: Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32 in Chandigarh, is facing an acute shortage of nurses, due to which the staff members have made a request through a written letter to the college principal-cum-director, Dr Jasbinder Kaur asking her to recruit more staff and fill the vacant 182 nursing posts.  

In December 2022, the central government had sanctioned 323 more nursing posts for the institution, and it currently has 1,097 sanctioned posts for staff nurses, including nursing superintendents, deputy nursing superintendents, assistant nursing superintendents, nursing sisters and nursing officers. 

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There are 570 regular employees, and around 30 nurses are on direct contract while 37 are outsourced, thus filling around 637 posts out of the 1,097 sanctioned posts. The nurses union has observed that the shortage of staff in the hospital is affecting the employees and patient care in the hospital. 

In their letter, the nurses stated, "We request you to kindly fill the vacant 182 posts (except the number of posts of direct contractual pending with CAT with subject to decision) in a time-bound manner in the interest of patient care and justice for nursing professionals." 

Dabkesh Kumar, president of the Nurses Welfare Association, GMCH-32, said, "Recently, 30 nurses on the direct contract had moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) court challenging the institute’s decision of sacking them. The direct contract employees want to get regularised among the 182 posts recently advertised by the hospital. The matter is still in court. However, the institute is not recruiting 182 nurses despite the recruitment process being complete and letters having been issued to the selected candidates. The authorities are adamant to remove direct contract employees before hiring the new ones." 

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Kumar added, "It is being observed that regular or contractual nurses of the GMCH-32 often resign due to unfavorable working conditions resulting in staff shortage. The working conditions are not favourable due to staff shortage, high turnover of patients and inequitable workforce distribution. To meet this shortfall, their leaves are not getting approved, including medical and childcare leaves. Though GMCH-32 staff are appointed by the central government (due to UT rules), our pay scale is based on Punjab rules, which are less compared to the pay scales of the central government. Also, there is no provision for promotion in the nursing cadre as only 40 out of the total sanctioned posts are eligible for promotion. The regular nurses work for long hours on a limited salary but never get promotions." 

Speaking about extra duties, Kumar said, "Extra night duties are being imposed without any compensatory leave or financial compensation. Nursing officers are being assigned double or more wards."

Meanwhile, stating that the process to fill 278 posts is currently ongoing, the director Dr. Kaur said, "The candidates were selected for 182 posts as per different cadre and hierarchy but if released before the court’s decision, it will be unfair for the candidates. The court’s judgment is expected soon and we will recruit staff as per the court’s decision." 

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