Contract nurses in Tamil Nadu govt hospitals urge end to pay disparity

Thirty staff nurses appointed on a contractual basis by the Medical Recruitment Board (MRB) at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) have appealed to authorities to expedite the implementation of a pay revision order that has remained pending for several years.

The nurses say that despite a government order issued in 2021 increasing their monthly salary from ₹14,000 to ₹18,000, with a 5% annual increment effective from their date of joining, the revised terms have not been applied to all eligible staff. According to sources, while a significant number of nurses have been regularised in the past few years, at least 200 contractual nurses in the districts of Tiruchi, Madurai, Karur, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, and Erode are still waiting for the new pay structure.

“We were initially employed to serve during the COVID-19 pandemic under the State government’s special schemes. We deserve the same consideration as others in our salary and emoluments. It has been five years since the 2021 order, but we are given excuses each time we raise the issue,” said V. Sara, a nurse working at a government hospital in Tiruchi.

The demand for parity comes amid a wider context where nurses in regular government service can earn upwards of ₹30,000 per month. In contrast, contractual MRB nurses have seen only incremental increases—₹500 per year for those on the ₹14,000 pay band, and ₹900 per year for those on the ₹18,000 band. Maternity benefits for contractual nurses were sanctioned only in 2025, further highlighting the gap in working conditions.

Nurses also point out that some newly appointed staff under the National Health Mission (NHM) are drawing higher salaries than experienced contractual nurses. “We urge the new government to end the pay disparity as soon as possible,” Ms. Sara added.

The issue reflects a broader challenge in the State’s healthcare recruitment system, where contract-based appointments have become common, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. While such appointments helped meet urgent staffing needs, inadequate regularisation and delayed implementation of pay revisions have created long-term uncertainty for many healthcare workers.

The contractual nurses have called upon the authorities to resolve pending payments and implement the 2021 government order without further delay. They emphasise that their demand is not for special treatment but for the same benefits that have already been extended to their colleagues in other districts and under other recruitment streams.

As the State government reviews its healthcare policies, the nurses’ appeal underlines the need for a transparent and time-bound process for regularisation and pay parity, ensuring that those who served on the frontlines during the pandemic are not left behind.