Nurses at Delhi hospital allege services terminated for demanding basic facilities

A group of nurses working in the Covid-19 ward of the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital, a private health facility here, protested against its management on Monday, alleging that their contracts were terminated for "demanding basic facilities".

The hospital authorities, however, said the non-renewal of contracts "is not linked to their demands".

For latest updates on Coronavirus outbreak, click here

The 84 nurses, whose services have been terminated, protested on the hospital premises on Monday and also wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking their intervention in the matter.

The nurses claimed that their contracts expired between February and June, but "we were asked to continue".

"All of a sudden they have asked us to go. They did not even follow the usual assessment process for renewal of contracts," a nurse said.

Every year, the hospital follows a process wherein nurses fill up an assessment form and nursing in-charges give their remarks.

The hospital, which is linked to the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, has now constituted a committee for the assessment process.

The committee includes heads of clinical departments, the nursing superintendent and the medical superintendent.

The protesters alleged that the hospital did not have basic facilities for nurses working in the Covid-19 ward.

"There is no proper donning and doffing area for female nurses. There is no drinking water," one of the protesters said.

Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on July 13

She said for every 20 patients in the coronavirus ward, there is only one nurse.

The hospital management has not provided "proper PPE kits, masks and gloves" to nursing and sanitation staff, another protester claimed.

"The nurses had asked the hospital to give them a Covid-19 allowance but the management denied it," she said, adding "there is no health policy for the staff working in the Covid-19 ward".

The nurses residing in the hostel of the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences claimed it does not have drinking water.

"Four to five nurses reside in the same room, there is no scope for following physical distancing measures," she claimed.

However, the officiating Medical Superintendent, Sunil Kohli, said the non-renewal of the contracts is not linked to their demands.

"The contracts of these 84 nurses expired between February and June, but the paperwork could not be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The contract renewal process has been changed this year. We are conducting fresh interviews and these 84 nurses can also apply," he said.

Kohli said only a few of the nurses' demands were genuine.

"The water problem is being looked into. Yes, the hostel rooms are over-crowded but there is no short-term solution to the problem," he said.

Kohli said the hospital paid full salaries to the nurses but the management could not give a Covid-19 allowance as "it does not have means to do it".

"As far as PPE kits and masks are concerned, we have provided best quality equipment to everyone," he said. P