Trainee nurses protest at KR Hospital

Trainee nurses at KR Hospital, a wing of Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI), wore black bands as a mark of protest, demanding to fulfill demands on Wednesday.

Over 150 nurses participated in the protest and tied black bands on their arms, during work.

A protester, who wished to maintain anonymity, said, “A few senior nurses and officials are threatening them to drop the protest.”

A total of 150 nurses are working as trainee nurses and are getting Rs 10,000 as scholarship. The nurses are deprived of government benefits, as they are not considered as employees.

The protesters demanded that the trainees be considered as contract employees and a salary of Rs 33,000 per month be paid as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

A trainee claimed that the trainees are made to work more, compared to permanent nurses. Though we submitted a memorandum and urged the higher- ups, to consider our request, nothing has happened. The trainee nurses are removed, if they question about it.