Ahead of Central Institute Body meet, AIIMS Nurses Union asks Center to revoke 80 percent quota for female nurses

Commenting on the decision, General Secretary of the union Fameer CK told the BusinessLine, "The CIB said in its decision that the appropriateness and requirement of female nursing staff in specialised wards are for the comfort and care of the patients. Nurses are trained medical professionals. Their roles should be defined scientifically."

He further pointed out that following the footsteps of AIIMS, other government and private hospitals may also start considering reserving seats on the basis of the gender-based norm during the recruitment process.

The male nurses had earlier submitted a letter to the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and requested him to reconsider the policy. "It is crystal clear that this messy recruitment policy has impacted the morale of the staff. The global demand for Indian nurses have increased dramatically and the number of Indian nurses opting for transnational career is skyrocketing," they had said in the letter.

Giving the reference of international healthcare, the male nurses pointed out that such a gender-based reservation policy is not followed in any of the international facilities.

The nurses stated, "During this Covid pandemic, we all realized that providing quality nursing care is vital irrespective of the gender of the care provider." Hence, they firmly called for revoking the decision. Nurses unions in several states have also opposed the decision of AIIMS CIB, reports the daily.

Many of them have addressed the issue on social media as well. " Please remove 80: 20 female: male gender-based discrimination in AIIMS Nursing officer recruitment exam. Please withdrawal this black rule in 5th CIB meeting will held on 15th June 2021", tweeted one of the nursing officers. Seeking justice for male nurses another stated, "Aiims fill their nursing officer's post on the gender discrimination basis. Female:Male is 80:20. It will destroy male nurses' future. So, please take this decision back."

On the other hand, the reservation is supported by female nurses. Female nurses have vehemently supported the provision clarifying that the reservation must prevail considering the nature of the job.

"Unemployment scenario is equal for men and women. In the field of nursing, women have played a much larger and important role. What is wrong in earmarking 80 per cent nursing jobs for female nurses? It would definitely improve the quality of our healthcare system. Other hospitals should also follow the AIIMS model," a senior female nurse in a Central Government hospital told BusinessLine.