NEW DELHI: Nurses associations in the city have objected to a recent decision taken by the ESIC Hospitals, alleging that the authorities have reduced promotional postings by 50% through a change in nomenclature.
The All India Government Nurses Federation has raised the matter before the Union Health Ministry asking for intervention. “Recently, unethical new nursing norms have been widely circulated by the ESIC Headquarter to all its hospitals across India, regarding nursing manpower,” the letter stated.
According to the association, the new nomenclature of nursing officers has been changed to “former staff nurse” by the ESIC, disregarding a 2016’s order from the Department of Personnel Training. This change has made 50% of the nurses ineligible for promotion.
“In these nursing norms, new nomenclature of Nursing officer -1 and Nursing officer- 2 are written as former staff nurse. These norms also reduced our promotional post to 50% without any justification,” the nurses body asserted.
The association said, if not repelled, the move will set a precedent to ill-treat nurses already working under severe shortage of manpower, warning to go on strikes if the move is not withdrawn.