Karnataka govt boots out 400 nurses

Bangalore, 19 Feb 2013 (TOI): There are more woes in store for Bangalore’s four big government hospitals. Just as they were battling the shortage of nursing staff, the government on Monday terminated the contract of 409 nurses attached to the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) Stipendiary Nurses’ Welfare Association.

 

Hopes dashed: Contract nurses staging a silent protest on the BMCRI premises in Bangalore on Monday

 

Victoria Hospital, Vani Vilas Hospital, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Minto Eye Hospital will now have to bear with the shortage for an indefinite period, inconveniencing the patients. The nurses had been waiting since February 4 for the government to sign the order permitting them to resume duties. Instead, medical education minister S A Ramdas inked the termination orders.

 

"We called off the strike on January 29 after BMCRI officers said our demands will be met. All these days we were kept in the dark, waiting for the minister to sign the order. Now, they have left us in the lurch. We are from poor families and many of us are sole breadwinners. We have worked on contract for 5-6 years. Where do we go now," asked Asha R, a member of the association.