Now, UTNA launch state-wide poster campaign

Correspondent/Reporter KMA/DMP, JULY 2 The department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) has once again come under criticism, and this time, from the Unemployed Trained Nurses Association (UTNA) Nagaland. The association has alleged that there is a shortfall of more than 400 nurses in government health facilities across the state but barely 17 posts of staff nurse were created in the last 26 years. According to UTNA, despite setting up new health-centres and upgrading existing ones, the government hardly changed the staffing pattern, and the post of staff nurse do not even exist in some health centre. Irked over the department’s lack of response to its appeals to address the issue, the UTNA Nagaland on Wednesday launched a statewide poster campaign to draw the attention of the government as well as the public towards the matter. “We have submitted 4 representations and an ultimatum to the government in the past one year, however, ‘No fund’ is the only verbal response we have heard from the government as yet,” UTNA members told media persons today at Ura hotel, Kohima. UTNA claimed that it conducted a survey on the staffing pattern in government health care system/institute/hospitals and found out that 150 posts of staff nurse in 11 district hospitals, 96 posts of staff nurse in 21 CHCs and 192 posts of staff nurse in 127 PHCs are lying vacant. “This revelation of shortage of about 348 staff nurse plus 30% leave reservation, and creation of barely 17 posts of staff nurse within 26 years while setting up new health centres and upgrading existing ones, clearly highlights the misgovernance of successive government,” UTNA members stated. They said that over 1000 unemployed trained staff nurse are within “the jaws of career assassination” and expressed apprehension that the number will only keep increasing year after year. UTNA members questioned the government if the public fund for various projects for upgradation or setting up of health centres included fund for creating requisite number of posts of nurses. They also asked whether the citizens of Nagaland are getting requisite medical services with a shortage of about 348 staff nurse plus 30% leave reservation. UTNA contended that non-creation of sufficient posts on one hand and setting up new Nurses Training Centres and bringing into being more trained nurses on the other, is an unrealistic policy of the government. Referring to the statement of department officials which appeared in the news dailies on July 1 that creation of about 165 posts of staff nurse has been proposed, UTNA members said in the circumstances where the government response to their plea is “no fund”, they wondered if the proposal can become a reality. On the proposed draft amendment of the Nagaland Nursing Service Rule 1988 (2014), UTNA members expressed discontentment over prescription of 50% appointment through NPSC and 50% by seniority. However, they refused to divulge further, stating that the matter would be handled under the guidance of Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) Nagaland state branch. The UTNA has reportedly submitted four representations to the government in 2014 and 2015 to look into the matter and finally an ultimatum on May 7 last, but the government failed to respond to their appeals. “Our main demand is for creation of posts as required in all the district hospitals/CHCs/PHCs by implementing the norms of Nurse:Patient/Bed ratio and Nurse:Population ratio as prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council,” one of the members informed. The UTNA is also demanding that higher/subsequent posts of nursing cadre be filled immediately against promotion so as to prevent stagnation in the lower cadre; and upgradation of posts of nursing superintendents/assistant nursing superintendents and district public health nursing officers at Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Phek, Peren, Wokha and Zunheboto. UTNA members informed that in the event that the government fails to respond to their poster campaign, they would continue to move forward in democratic leaps without prejudice to anyone in the interest of justice. Meanwhile, UTNA Dimapur unit targeted City Tower and Dimapur Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) office for the poster campaign, thereafter a press conference was held at Hotel Saramati. Endorsing UTNA’s agitation with their demand a Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) executive member articulated that ‘fair share should be granted’ as health service is paramount which is at the cost of our own people. At the same time he expressed that having trained does not guarantee job but justice must be delivered. “There is no front door in Nagaland but only and it is time we open the front door in every sector” maintained the NTC representative.