Being deprived of basic rights: RML nurses protest against pending promotion

New Delhi: Tired of waiting for their pending promotion for years, nurses of Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital, New Delhi staged a demonstration on Thursday morning to put forth their demands to the hospital administration.

The three main demands of the nurses protesting since September 1 are -- immediate completion of the promotion process as it has been pending since long, no direct recruitment of senior promotional posts in nursing cadre and no outsourcing of nursing cadre.

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"There are people waiting to get promoted for over 20-25 years at this (RML) hospital. Senior positions such as that of Deputy Nursing Superintendent and Assistant Nursing Superintendent are lying 100 per cent and 72 per cent vacant, respectively. We have been writing to the hospital administration over the issue for the last 5 years but all our demands have fallen on deaf ears," All India Government Nurses Federation President, Anita Parmar told IANS.

"Nurses are being deprived of their basic rights which in turn is affecting the smooth functioning of the hospital," she said, adding "This isn't just RML's problems, all the hospitals here are functioning in a similar manner. Safdarjung Hospital too filled its vacant senior positions in May-June this year, after protests."

In the meantime, Delhi Nurses Union - affiliated with the All Indian Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF) at Lady Harding Medical College, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Smt Sucheta Kriplani Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital have joined in the nurses' agitation at RML with few backing them on the ground and others wearing black badges to work to express solidarity.

Letters issued by the above-mentioned hospitals read that nurses will be working with black badges with effect from September 9 to register their support with ongoing agitation of fellow nurses of RML Hospital without occluding the patient care in the hospital.

The letter further mentions that it is very sad that no action has been taken by the RML Hospital Administration till now. It seems that nurses are not important for the hospital. Now, the nurses of other Central Government Hospitals have to join their agitation to strengthen their hands because no option has been left with them due to administration's callous behaviour.

An AIGNF member on the condition of anonymity said that every time they sent a letter, the administration assured them to work on the demands within 30 days but nothing has happened on the ground yet, adding, "We will continue to protest and work with black badges till our demands are met."

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