Tamil Nadu Nurses Protest Redeployment of 292 Posts to Emergency Centres
The Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association has strongly opposed the state government's decision to redeploy 292 nursing posts from the Directorate of Public Health and government hospitals to Emergency Care and Recovery Centres (ECRCs). In a statement issued on Tuesday, the association announced a series of protests starting July 11 to press for its demands.
The association argued that Primary Health Centres under the Directorate of Public Health are vital for delivering healthcare to rural areas, including round-the-clock maternity services, first aid, maternal and child health schemes, immunisation, and early disease detection. It warned that redeploying 192 mentor staff nurses from the Directorate and another 100 from government hospitals would severely impact these services.
Citing past assurances from the previous DMK government, the association noted that new nursing posts were promised to address acute shortages. The Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services had submitted a proposal to create new posts, but it was rejected. Instead, the state government has moved to abolish key nursing positions in rural areas, exacerbating an already critical shortage in government hospitals.
The association highlighted that nearly 6,500 nurses recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board have not been regularised for nine years. It called on the current TVK government to fulfill its election promise by creating permanent posts based on patient load and regularising all nurses on consolidated pay.
Meanwhile, steps are being taken to fill nursing tutor posts in six government nursing colleges on a consolidated-pay basis. The association demanded the government withdraw this plan, reverse the redeployment, create new permanent posts, and regularise all nurses currently on consolidated pay. The protests are expected to draw attention to these demands across the state.
