THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government Nurses Association (KGNA) will stage a day and night agitation from Tuesday, pressing various demands, including filling up of vacancies, revising staff pattern, implementing time-bound promotions among others.
The agitation, which will be staged in front of the Secretariat for three days, will be inaugurated by CITU state president Anathalavattam Anandan, KGNA general secretary O S Moli and state secretary T Subramanian said. Pointing out that about 1,600 vacancies were yet to be filled, they said the functioning of the hospitals across the state has been affected due to the shortage of nurses. “The posts of 14 district nursing officers are lying vacant. The posts of 13 of the 19 nursing officers, 35 of the 135 Nursing Superintendent grade 1 and 69 of the 157 Nursing grade II, 300 of head nurse and thousands of staff nurse grade 1 and 2 are yet to be filled. The government is not taking any initiative to fill the vacancies, which is adversely affecting the functioning of the various hospitals,” they said.
The association leaders alleged that the government was delaying the promotion process indefinitely. “The government has been delaying due promotions for the past three years. We had given several representations and memorandum to the government and the Health Department,” they said. Pointing out that the government had been stating technical difficulties in the promotion of gazetted posts, they said that the Department Promotion Committee, which was mandatory, has not been convened for the last many years.
“Several nurses are retiring from service without getting the due promotions.” they said. They also alleged wide spread irregularities in transfers. The government is transferring people without looking into any of the criteria, they said.