Hyderabad: Covid frontline warriors cry bitter injustice

Nurses who of late joined are being paid a salary of Rs 25,000, but the senior nurses working for a decade or more are getting only Rs 17,000. And they do not even get monthly pay on time and are made to wait for two to three months. Despite working round-the-clock in isolation wards for long hours, they deplore that their concerns are not heeded by authorities

Hyderabad: The outsourcing nurses of Gandhi Hospital staged a protest at the Directorate of Medical Education office in Koti on Friday, demanding regularisation of services as per seniority. Police took as many as 220 nurses into custody.

Senior nurses claim that they aren't receiving the salaries they deserve and that the newly recruited are getting good compensation. Those working for 15 years or more are not given any recognition by the hospital authorities.

An agitator, P Shyamala, deplored that they were not even paid salaries on time. "We want regularised salaries according to experience and seniority level. We also strongly demand that the Telangana government make the services of those with an experience of decade or more permanent," she added.

"Nurses who of late joined are being paid a salary of Rs 25,000, but the senior nurses working for 13 years are getting only Rs 17,000. This is quite imbalanced payment structure that is not existent anywhere in the world," said K Bharathi, who has 12 years experience.

At the same time, nurses with five years experience were hired for Rs 28000 as a head nurse, while the outsourcing nurses are ignored and denied any justice.

Around 220 outsourcing nurses and healthcare workers are at the front lines of battle against Covid-19 and working round-the-clock in isolation wards of Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad, They want regularisation of salaries as they are extending their services risking their lives. Most of the nurses express disappointment that they are also not receiving salaries on time.

"We never stepped back on providing our services till date and we will always be available. But we are disappointed that we are not even paid our last month salary yet and the previous month salary for May was paid without adding the 10% hike. We request higher authorities to concede our request as utmost priority and help us get monthly wages on time with the promised increments," said G Indira.

" Gandhi hospital has failed to provide proper regularisation of salaries to nurses and we always have to wait for two or three months to get our monthly wages. Still we are standing and fighting against Covid-19 by working more than 8 hours whenever required. We request the authorities concerned not to delay our salaries," said D Meghamala.

"We are putting our lives in risk by working in Covid isolation sections just for our monthly salaries. But, we are disappointed because our salaries are always delayed and sometimes we have to wait for two to three months to get our salaries. We received May salary recently and have no clue when we will be paid our March salary," said CH Lakshmi.