Kannur: An acute shortage of the nursing staff in Kerala government hospitals has impaired prompt and effective healthcare services. Over 2,000 nursing posts are lying vacant as a result of delay in recruitments and promotions.
The maximum number of vacancies — around 2,000 — are reported for the post of Junior Public Health Nurse (Grade 2). No appointments were made to this post in the last three years.
It’s been years since the appointment of Public Health Nurses have been made. There are nearly 450 vacancies for this post in various government hospitals.
Similarly, a scarcity of staff in posts such as District Public Health Nurse and Maternal Child Health Officer had adversely affected the functioning of hospitals in many districts.
No promotion was given from Junior Public Health Nurse Grade 2 to Grade 1 in the last three years. As a result many posts remain unfilled and the personnel are forced to retire from the Grade 2 post itself despite their vast experience.
8,000 more nurses required
The staff pattern in hospitals is still based on the one introduced 60 years ago and it’s yet to be renewed in tune with the demands of the changing times. Many government hospitals are running short of nurses in proportion to the number of beds for inpatient treatment.
If one takes into account the strength of nurses in proportion to patients, another 8,000 nurses have to be appointed on a war footing.
Presently, there are only 12,000 nurses in government hospitals against the required strength of 20,000. The State Government, though, has taken no measure to fill the vacancies even while the existing staff are overburdened heavily.
Security of nurses
With the State Government set to issue an ordinance aimed at amending the existing act to ensure better protection of healthcare workers, various nurses associations, including the Kerala Government Junior Public Health Nurses & Supervisors Union, have demanded the inclusion of nurses under its purview.
The Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, was introduced in 2012, and the amendment is being initiated in the wake of the shocking Kottarakkara incident, in which a patient killed a young house surgeon.
The nurses’ organizations also demanded the State Government carry out timely appointments and promotions for the smooth functioning of government hospitals.
