CHENNAI: As many as 200 Village Health Nurses (VHNs) staged protest at the DMS campus in Teynampet on Tuesday, urging a 40-point charter of demands that includes reduction of working duration from 14 to eight hours.
The nurses from various districts who participated in the protest also demanded that they be allocated only for maternity and infant care services. Also, when Covid-19 vaccination-related work is assigned, they should be provided with transport and other incentives.
Further, the VHNs demanded leaves during festivals and public holidays, adding only retired or senior nurses be assigned for Covid-19 vaccination works. The government should also drop the plan of recruiting staff nurses at Health Sub Centres.
“During mega vaccination camps on Sundays, the village health nurses were made to work for 12 hours, from 7 am to 7 pm. As there is also no transport facilities for the VHNs, the government should provide us with transport and other facilities,” said a Village Health Nurse.
The protest was called off after the VHNs held talks with Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and Dr TS Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Meanwhile, speaking to TNIE, Dr Selvavinayagam said, “Talks were smooth. We clarified on many things and they understood it.”