the goan I network
PANAJI
In light of the allegations by nurses that have come to the fore over the last couple of days, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Friday that all nurses are being recruited on merit, and that all the nurses who have been regularised are old (in experience) nurses.
“There are enough jobs for everyone, and the solution to nurses not getting regularised is to create more posts. More than 200 nurses posts will be created soon,” Rane told ‘The Goan’ when asked about the allegations.
“We cannot break the rules for nurses working on contract. These allegations are just sour grapes,” he said.
When asked whether he had received the list of nurses working on contract in the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) along with the year in which they joined, compiled by the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) Goa branch, Rane responded with, “It is not the job of the TNAI to give recommendations. Everything is on merit. We cannot break the rules for those working
on contract.”
The Health Minister also said that he had received an anonymous letter this week with the allegations, but that he would not be considering allegations made in an anonymous letter.
Nurses working on contract basis for the government had alleged earlier this week that permanent posts in the nursing sector are being given based on favouritism and influence with top brass in the government, rather than on merit and years of
service rendered.
One nurse who spoke to ‘The Goan’ on the condition of anonymity said that this saga has been going on for some years, with there being no proper selection criteria followed for giving nurses permanent posts.
The reason the nurses were more aggrieved was because 45 of the 154 vacant posts announced at the GMC and Directorate of Health Services (DHS) were filled by candidates from Sattari/Valpoi, some of whom to this date do not have the required
documents.
No list of selected candidates was displayed at either the GMC or DHS offices, claimed the nurse, putting into question the transparency of the selection process. When asked to show the list, the office at the GMC told the nurse in question that in order to see this list, the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had said that a letter from the respective MLA was required.
Will look into case of male nurse
dying on duty: Health minister
PANAJI: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane assured ‘The Goan’ on Friday said that he would look into the case of the male nurse from the Siolim Primary Health Center (PHC) who had died while on duty in January.
The case of 48-year-old Mahesh Desai dying on duty came to light after the TNAI filed a complaint with the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) alleging that the nurse had died due to stress after lots of harassment from DHS officials.
Executive committee members of the TNAI, as well as health workers of the Siolim PHC met the Health Secretary and Chief Secretary on January 30. Both are said to have assured the nurses that they would see to it that justice would prevail.
