1640 Telangana nurses not paid for months, protests continue in Hyderabad

To highlight their concerns, the protesting nurses headed for the SHRC where they were met with hostility from the police force.
Police detain a BJP Mahila Morcha activist who staged a protest in support of outsourced nurses, in Hyderabad. (Photo | RVK Rao, Express)
Police detain a BJP Mahila Morcha activist who staged a protest in support of outsourced nurses, in Hyderabad. (Photo | RVK Rao, Express)

HYDERABAD: The 1,640 outsourced nursing staff, who were unceremoniously terminated from 10 different government hospitals on July 6, 2021, have not been paid their salaries for the last two or three months.

The nurses said that though such delays were common, the fact that they still haven’t been paid after their termination was an unabashed display of inhumanity towards Covid-19 warriors.

“We are unable to take care of our families after the abrupt termination of our services without a notice period. On top of that, we haven’t received our salaries. The Gandhi Hospital staff haven’t got it since June, whereas those of Osmania, Niloufer and a few other hospitals in the districts haven’t been paid since April,” said E Ajay, a nurse who worked at Gandhi Hospital.

A majority of the nurses were paid a paltry sum of just Rs 25,000.

To highlight their concerns, the fired nursing staff headed for the SHRC on Thursday, July 8, 2021, where they were met with hostility from the police force. Reportedly, after negotiations, the police allowed five nurses to meet the SHRC officials and submit a petition.

The SHRC then sought a report from the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad on the matter and recommended that the staff approach the High Court. “We are running pillar to post to get our rightful returns. It has become quite difficult. We intend to intensify our strike demanding our two months’ salary,” said Madhulatha M, a nurse who worked at Koti Maternity Hospital.

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The New Indian Express
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