Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JUNE 30
Against the backdrop of the ongoing agitation called by the Nagaland Staff Nurse Association (NSNA) with a demand for opening of promotion avenues and gradation for staff nurses, the department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) on Tuesday informed that the matter is under active consideration and appealed to the NSNA to withdraw their agitation.
Addressing a press conference at the Directorate of H&FW Kohima, department officials headed by the Commissioner & Secretary, M Patton told media persons that the contentious issue has arisen from the Nurse’s Service Rule 1988 which has been followed since 1988 till date resulting in discontentment among serving nurses leading to supercession claims and counter claims over seniority.
Patton said the 1988 Service Rule states that for promotion to any higher post from staff nurse, one must have at least a diploma course on ward management for not less than 3 months duration. This, he pointed out, necessitated any staff nurse with GNM qualification to have an additional diploma course for at least 3 months duration. As a result of this eligibility condition as per the Service Rule, he said those who acquired BSc or GNM with additional diploma were entitled for promotion before their seniors who possessed only GNM qualification.
The department after observing the main issues of contention, discussed at length with various stakeholders in several series of meetings, wherein NSNA also participated, and proposed to amend the existing Service Rule of 1988, Patton stated. Subsequently, he said, the first amendment of the Nurses’ Service Rule 2014 was drafted in December 2014 and is currently under process in the P & AR department.
When asked if the proposed amendment will fulfil the current demand of NSNA, the official said the government is amenable to their demands and the proposed draft will facilitate and widen 5 promotion avenues for staff nurses without them having to acquire the additional diploma. He explained that gradation is applied for services that have no promotion scope, therefore having promotional avenues will be more beneficial rather than gradation.
The official emphasized that the approval of the proposed amendment is a time consuming process as it needs to go through at least 7 stages- drafting at the directorate level, review at the Secretariat level, assessment by the P & AR, Finance and Law departments, State Cabinet clearance and finally to be passed by the State Assembly. Towards this end, he appealed the NSNA to be patient.
The proposed Amendment of Nurse's Service Rule 2014, it was disclosed, includes several changes such as- Basic minimum qualification to become staff nurse is GNM but BSc/MSc are also included since they have qualified GNM course, and all the category of personnel must have registration certificate from Nursing Council; Seniority will be fixed from the date entry to service; Promotion will be done based on over all seniority-cum-merit; No additional qualification required for promotion to higher grade if one possesses GNM degree; BSc/MSc will be given preference to teaching post, but they will not be given undue privilege to claim seniority over others; and as per P & AR memo, additional financial benefit should be given to all those who have done additional diploma/degree courses.
If the government approves the proposal, 123 out of 191 staff nurses up to 2000 batch will get promotion as 3 BSc/MSc nurses of 2000 batch have already got promoted. Officials also informed that by 2020, all the remaining staff nurses up to 2000 batch will get their promotion which any backlog will be cleared. The proposed amendment also includes creation of over 100 posts under nursing.
The NSNA are currently into their second-phase stir in the form of three days mass casual leave which will end on July 1, and will be followed by the third-phase where a total cessation of work has been implied. However, Patton said the department has full contingency back-up and functioning of the government hospitals are not affected by the agitation.
While stating that the department is open to negotiation and further talk with the NSNA to resolve the prevailing issue, the official said if no agreement comes through then the government will be compelled to take “some hard decisions”.
