NIMS nurses strike work, demand director's scalp

Hyderabad: Nurses in NIMS went on a flash protest against workload. They demanded removal of the director. They pointed out that earlier there were 2,300 nurses; now there were just over 800 leading to a big burden on 500 regular nurses.

They alleged that the director doesn't give them time to meet and express their issues. They charged that patients were shifted from emergency to general ward so as to show availability of beds. "The patients are facing inconvenience; burden on nurses is increasing".

Meanwhile, NIMS authorities said the nurses took the path of agitation because of the memo issued to two, including nursing superintendent Lalitha Kumari and staff nurse S Vijaya Kumari, for not signing the attendance register.

While Vijaya Kumari was issued a memo for not signing the attendance register for the last 143 days in 2022, Lalitha Kumari was issued a memo for not entering casual leaves in the online system. The memo states Lalitha Kumari had entered CLs in attendance register kept at medical superintendent's office, but not applied online through HIMS. They have been asked to explain the discrepancy in leaves and also to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for irregularity.

The nurses ended the protest in the evening after the management formed a committee to sort out their issues.