JOIN US The shortage of staff nurses in Victoria, Vani Vilas, Minto and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospitals, is putting extra burden on existing regular nurses.
They are also forced to teach senior nurses and newly deputed nurses on how to administer an injection.
Hospital sources said senior nurses, who only supervised working nurses are forced to learn all duties of nurses, since newly deputed nurses are fresh graduates and still learning their work, while senior nurses are learning all over again.
The issue related to regularisation of contract nurses, working in four major government hospitals, is taking longer to settle as the conciliation meeting has been postponed to March 12. The meeting was rescheduled as the chief administrative officer (CAO) of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) is on election duty to Gulbarga.
The 409 contract nurses who had boycotted their services in these four major government hospitals since January have been on indefinite strike. BMCRI relieved them of their services on February 18 stating that despite repeated requests to withdraw their protest, they remained adamant affecting medical services severely.
The contract nurses are demanding regularisation of their services. Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas took up the subject for discussion in the Cabinet meeting. The subject, however, was deferred and is likely to be taken up at the next Cabinet meeting.