Dimapur, July 10 (EMN): Unemployed Trained Nurses’ Association (UTNA) has appealed to the state government to continue with the existing system based on batch-wise-cum-merit basis in regard to appointment in order to deliver justice for all the deserving candidates.
In a representation to the state chief minister, the union has expressed dissatisfaction on the recent recruitment policy presented by the department which contravened to the traditional practice of appointment basing on batch-wise-cum merit basis. As per the recent government policy, 50% of the total post created was put up for open competition.
Reacting to the government policy, the association stated that it has distorted the age old tradition of recruitment policy and created unfair disadvantage and grave injustice to all the trained nurses.
The association has appreciated the initiative of the government for creation of 143 posts to be deployed in all the districts hospitals of Nagaland vide memorandum No. CAB-2/2013 dated Kohima, the 12th June, 2020 and subsequent post creation of 78 posts of staff nurse for primary health centres (PHCs) as per the cabinet meeting held on 23rd June, 2020 with the direction for appointment within a period of one month .
“The department of Health and Family Welfare Nagaland is already maintaining a batch wise-cum-merit seniority list for the unemployed trained nurses, who are yet to be appointed. Till date, the trained nurses are being appointed based on batch wise-cum-merit seniority basis as and when vacancies arises through retirement and death,” an update from the association president Akhrole Tsuhah and general secretary Vikali Wotsa stated.
On the contrary, the association expressed remorse that no post has been created for the staff nurse in the last 3 decades, which has led to stagnation of more than 1000 plus trained staff nurses, who have faithfully served the department with the desire for recruitment through batch wise-cum-merit basis.
The association stated that it was for the first time that the department has come out with the idea to create such a huge number of posts thereby giving an opportunity for appointment as a regular employee after waiting for more than 16-18 years toiling in private health centres and on contractual basis with minimum wages.
Considering the customary norms followed by the department of Health and Family Welfare for the appointment of staff nurse based on batch wise-cum-merit, the cabinet has issued a memorandum NO.CAB-2/2013 dated Kohima, the 12th June 2020, creating 143 posts of staff nurse to be appointed based on existing system of appointment in order to ensure judicious deployment in a just and fair manner in hospitals/ health centres, the memorandum stated. It demanded that the existing instructions of reservation of posts for the backward tribes should be followed.
It mentioned that the appointment of staff nurses according to batch-wise-cum-merit with age condonation has been a practice till date by the concerned department. It has been carried out as per the directives given by the then director vide.NO.DHS-4/217 Trg/90-91/3530 dated 1st September 2005 stating that the eligible age for appointment is relaxed for the trained nurses and also P&AR vide.U.O.NO. 773 dated 22/09/2005 condoned the overage of the trained nurses for appointment, the memorandum added.
The association felt that it would not be fair on the part of the department to suddenly incorporate new recruitment policy, that too when the state is facing acute shortage of health care workers in this current pandemic crisis.