Dimapur, March 3 (MExN): Highlighting its grievances and concerns, the All Nagaland Unemployed Trained Nurses Association (UTNA) submitted an open letter to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, and Minster (H & FW) Nagaland. As a welfare state, the onus for providing health lies within the government and the government policy on employment of nurses are in “Crawl State,” UTNA quoted and asserted that the department produces 50 to 80 graduate nurses every year while on the other hand, the department picks some three to six graduate nurses for employing in the department. The association also made it clear that the appointments are made purely on “batch and merit” wise. “It is very sorry to note that the department is about to recruit 2000 batch on 2011, leaving the rest 2000-2010 batch consisting around 600 to 700 graduates employed nurses in waiting list,” the association lamented.
“As a nursing professional, we have pleaded to the government many times seeking for the creation of new post for nursing professionals, which have been banned and kept untouched over decades. Till date no positive response has been made, keeping the nursing professionals in a pitiful condition,” stated the letter appended by Iluisile Meru, president and Mughaka V. achumi, general secretary UTNA. Keeping in mind with these issues, the UNTA earlier had requested the government for creation of a new post and condonation of age in respect of appointment of nursing professionals, as a fact that, most of the Graduate Nursing Professionals becomes overage when their turn comes.
The association also highlighted that the trainees undergo training and confront many untold hardships, both physical and emotional, as the clinical field are attached directly with the major hospital of the state where half of the work within the hospitals are being run and cared by the trainee students themselves, as the employed staff nurse are less deployed facing less manpower, where many patient attendants obviously become part of medical practitioner, where they are compelled to give a helping hand to the medical professionals, which is also a dangerous practice in delivering an optional care to the sick patient.
The UNTA also makes it clear to the general public and cautioned the government that the staff nurses employed under NRHM should not be counted as employed, as the appointment is purely on contractual basis with fixed pay, barring other facilities and allowances enjoyed by the regular employees. It is our urge to the concerned authority to initiate on modern technologies and facilities as the present infrastructure are outdated which hinders the learning skills of the trainees. The accommodation of the trainees of both the institute also lack basic amenities which are in need of more resources and renovations.
Making reference to the magazine “Communication and Health Care Delivery” published by the Department of Health and Family Welfare (SCC), where the department of evaluation undertake an impact evaluation study spread all over the districts within the state, the association pointed out that all the health centers covered by the evaluation study suggested lack of staffs and staff quarters, outdated equipments, insufficient funds etc. UTNA expressed surprise that the existing staff nurse appointed, which is calculated around 300 to 400 in number, serving more than 100 recognized villages within the state, and added that the demands for more nurses are being made from all corners of the state.
UTNA in the letter also said that Health is a human right for every citizen and while appreciating the development and initiative being undertaken by the government, it added that as far as the Health sector is concerned, Nagaland has improved to the extend over the years with introduction of various programmes, but still then, our state has not yield the desired outcome. There is a need to revisit some of these which impede the growth of development and employment as the plight and state of public health care and infrastructure is far from satisfactory.
UTNA also stated that it earnestly seeks the esteemed government to kindly acknowledge the associations’ plea in finding solution which has been highlighted for the welfare of the nursing professionals in particular and the public in general.
“As a nursing professional, we have pleaded to the government many times seeking for the creation of new post for nursing professionals, which have been banned and kept untouched over decades. Till date no positive response has been made, keeping the nursing professionals in a pitiful condition,” stated the letter appended by Iluisile Meru, president and Mughaka V. achumi, general secretary UTNA. Keeping in mind with these issues, the UNTA earlier had requested the government for creation of a new post and condonation of age in respect of appointment of nursing professionals, as a fact that, most of the Graduate Nursing Professionals becomes overage when their turn comes.
The association also highlighted that the trainees undergo training and confront many untold hardships, both physical and emotional, as the clinical field are attached directly with the major hospital of the state where half of the work within the hospitals are being run and cared by the trainee students themselves, as the employed staff nurse are less deployed facing less manpower, where many patient attendants obviously become part of medical practitioner, where they are compelled to give a helping hand to the medical professionals, which is also a dangerous practice in delivering an optional care to the sick patient.
The UNTA also makes it clear to the general public and cautioned the government that the staff nurses employed under NRHM should not be counted as employed, as the appointment is purely on contractual basis with fixed pay, barring other facilities and allowances enjoyed by the regular employees. It is our urge to the concerned authority to initiate on modern technologies and facilities as the present infrastructure are outdated which hinders the learning skills of the trainees. The accommodation of the trainees of both the institute also lack basic amenities which are in need of more resources and renovations.
Making reference to the magazine “Communication and Health Care Delivery” published by the Department of Health and Family Welfare (SCC), where the department of evaluation undertake an impact evaluation study spread all over the districts within the state, the association pointed out that all the health centers covered by the evaluation study suggested lack of staffs and staff quarters, outdated equipments, insufficient funds etc. UTNA expressed surprise that the existing staff nurse appointed, which is calculated around 300 to 400 in number, serving more than 100 recognized villages within the state, and added that the demands for more nurses are being made from all corners of the state.
UTNA in the letter also said that Health is a human right for every citizen and while appreciating the development and initiative being undertaken by the government, it added that as far as the Health sector is concerned, Nagaland has improved to the extend over the years with introduction of various programmes, but still then, our state has not yield the desired outcome. There is a need to revisit some of these which impede the growth of development and employment as the plight and state of public health care and infrastructure is far from satisfactory.
UTNA also stated that it earnestly seeks the esteemed government to kindly acknowledge the associations’ plea in finding solution which has been highlighted for the welfare of the nursing professionals in particular and the public in general.
