MRB nurses announce demonstration plan to make their jobs permanent

MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Medical Service Recruitment Board (MRB) Nurses Empowerment Association announced a series of demonstrations, demanding job regularisation for all contract-based working nurses in their State executive committee meeting on Saturday.N Subin, general secretary of the association, said the State government promised them the employment will be made permanent after two years of joining, but this is yet to be fulfilled.

"The DMK government also promised the same in their election manifesto. They are delaying the demands citing financial crises. We have met Health Minister Ma Subramanian, so many times raising our concerns," he added.

In the series of demonstrations, the association will send post cards to the Chief Minister raising the issue on November 3. From November 12-20, the association will meet all MLAs and ministers. On December 16, they will hold a protest in front of all district collectorates. If the efforts go in vain, the association will stage a sit-in protest at Chennai DMRHS (Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services).    

"Only 4,200 out of more than 7,000 nurses, recruited through MRB in 2015, were made permanent across the State. There are more than 13,000 nurses who are yet to be made permanent for the last seven years. Around 2,000 nurses, who got appointed during the Covid-19 pandemic, are yet to get their contracts confirmed. The salary of contract nurses was raised to Rs 18,000, but is insufficient to lead a good life," said SK Sujatha, State joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu MRB Nurses Empowerment Association, who was from the 2015 batch and was appointed only last year. President of the association G Sasikala, District secretary of Tamil Nadu Government employees association K Neethiraja, and over 100 executive members took part in the meeting.