NEW DELHI: Government nurses in Delhi on Monday raised objection to the alleged outsourcing of nurses at city-government run Indira Gandhi Hospital. The nurses also accused Delhi government for diverting nursing staff from other health facility to the newly established multispeciality hospital. The nurses, under the banner of All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF), have raised the issue with Delhi L-G VK Saxena in a letter.
The nurses body urged Saxena to issue directions to stop the outsourcing practice allegedly taken up by the Delhi Government-run hospital. The AIGNF in its letter accused the city government of being in hurry to provide “insufficient” health services yo the public.
“We came to know through advertisement that the process of recruitment of Nurses by outsourcing method has been initiated at the hospital. It has sanctioned 1,241 beds. Presently. It is running various departments such as 24 hours Emergency, Female ward, male ward and different specialty departments etc. The OPD’s services are made available."
“These services are run by a very low number of nurses At present, the hospital is run by nurses diverted from other hospitals of Delhi Government, means shortage of nurses is also created there. It seems Government of NCT of Delhi is in hurry to Provide insufficient health services to the General Public of Delhi,” the nurses wrote in the letter.
The nurses accused the Delhi government of discrimination with the nurses cadre. “All the doctors were recruited on a regular basis with full pay and allowances. In cases of nurses, an outsourcing method is adopted,” the association said. They mentioned that the outsourcing practice is against the government’s policy and a risk to public health since less skilled workers may be taken up for the job by outsourcing agencies.