In a significant development, protesting nursing staff at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad have decided to temporarily put their intensified agitation on hold. This decision came on Wednesday after the NIMS Nurses Union received concrete assurances from Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha regarding their long-pending demands.
Minister's Assurance Leads to De-escalation
Following over a week of sustained protests, union representatives held crucial discussions with the health minister. According to the union, Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha provided a firm commitment that their genuine grievances would be resolved. He assured them that all demands had been agreed to in principle and that the administrative process was already in motion.
The minister informed the nurses that files pertaining to some of their demands had already been forwarded to the concerned departments. For the remaining issues, he promised that the process would be completed swiftly, with formal government orders expected to be issued within the next two to three days.
Silent Protest to Continue Amid Cautious Optimism
Despite deferring the major agitation, the nursing officers have adopted a stance of cautious optimism. The union has clarified that nurses will continue to wear black badges as a form of silent and peaceful protest. This symbolic gesture will persist until they receive the written orders promised by the minister.
The union has assured that regular hospital duties will not be disrupted during this period. Patient care services at NIMS will continue uninterrupted while the nursing staff awaits the formal implementation of the assurances.
Core Demands of the Nursing Staff
The agitation was launched to highlight a series of critical issues affecting the nursing workforce. The key demands presented by the NIMS Nurses Union include:
- Addressing the problem of increasing workloads due to staff shortages.
- Restoration of medical benefits for parents of contract nursing officers.
- Filling of numerous vacant posts to ease the burden on existing staff.
- Implementation of earned leave encashment policies already approved by the NIMS executive board.
- Conducting a long-overdue cadre review.
- Providing appropriate status and pay for lecturers at NIMS Nursing College, aligning them with AIIMS scales.
Furthermore, the nurses raised concerns over several pending service benefits and welfare measures. These include delays in promotions, non-implementation of staffing norms, and lack of basic welfare facilities. Specific government orders that remain unimplemented despite repeated representations are:
- The enhanced gratuity of Rs 16 lakh as notified in GO 56.
- The provision of 3-month maternity leave under GO 209.
The decision to defer the agitation marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue between healthcare workers and the state administration. All eyes are now on the government to fulfill its promises within the stated timeline, ensuring the welfare of those at the frontline of medical care in Hyderabad.
