Urgent Issue of Patient-Nurse Ratio in Nagaland

Dear government of Nagaland, despite the rampant upgradation of hospitals the staffing pattern of patient – nurse ratio all over Nagaland is evidently inadequate. Regardless of the deadly Covid-19 lurking around us it is learnt that the department of health and family welfare is reluctant to appoint nurses against the existing vacancies of 28 staff nurse post citing overage issues which does not apply to the trained nurses (in reference to the media release published on 22 of April 2020 it is quoted as per the direction given by then director vide No DHS-4/217/Trg/90-91/3530 dated 1/09/2005 stating that the legible age for appointment is relaxed for the trained nursing personnel and also P&AR vide U.O No 773 dated 22/09/2005 condoned the overage of the trained nurses for appointment).

Apparently, these nurses had undergone three years of training after going through a series of screening test conducted by the department and waiting patiently for 17-18 years for their turn faithfully adhering to the rules and regulations laid down by the department (i.e appointment on seniority cum merit basis with age condonation). It is understandable that all the trainees cannot be accommodated at one go and hundreds have to wait in line for their turn for appointment. In this process many have crossed 35 years of age.

Mention may be made that the maximum and minimum age limit published in media advertisement by the department / government to undergo training for nurses is between 17- 35 years. I would like to point out that some trainees become overage even before the completion of training course. So, the question of overage does not arise here.

Having said that, at present there are more than 400 nurses who are overage waiting for their turn following department norms, and whose careers would be jeopardised if appointment and post creation are stunted indiscriminately. It is also pertinent to mention that Nagaland is clogged with an exorbitant excess of government employees, yet in medical department only a mere 20 post approximately of nurses have been created in the span of 30 years. These doctors and nurses are the warriors of our health care system and if this vortex of handling the department persists, our health care system will find itself down in the gutters. If this is not pathetic then what is it?

Today as a Naga public I stand by the aggrieved nurses and request the Health and Family Welfare department to look into the matter and appoint them on seniority cum merit basis with age condonation as it has been customarily followed by your esteemed department, because all of them are trained, qualified and have passed out from the school of Nursing run by the state government. Hope the victimised do not pursue legal recourse, their grievances are addressed in due time and dispelled of any confounding issues.

Razzu Lohe