TURA: The ANM bonded students have strongly expressed opposition to the statement made by Meghalaya Health Minister, AL Hek where he had allegedly said during the Budget Session that they would be given permanent appointment only after appearing in the written and personal interview as per the ‘seven rules’.
They questioned if the ‘seven rules’ were included in the nursing rules or whether it was applicable only to the ANM students. “If direct appointment can be given to GNM students why is the same procedure not being applied with regard to ANM students,” they said.
They claimed that preferences were being given to certain selected candidates who were superseding their seniors in terms of appointment even though they had passed out much later than some of the candidates.
The candidates also questioned the scheduling of dates for the written examination and the declaration of its results as not even a gap of one day was set aside for scrutinizing the answer sheets of the candidates. They were of the view that it would not be humanly possible to properly scrutinize the answer sheets of all 328 candidates as the date for declaration of the results has been scheduled for the day after the written examination.
“How will it be possible to check the answer sheets of all 328 candidates in a day? In addition the personal interview for successful candidates in the written examination has been scheduled for the same day as the declaration of the written results,” they questioned.
Sensing something amiss the candidates have demanded the scrapping of the written and the personal interview and to instead give them batch wise appointment failing which they threatened to legally take up the matter in the High Court.
Hek assures speedy appointment
Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek assured that the State Government will take all possible steps to speed up the process for appointment of the 200 plus nurses vacant posts.
“We are aware about the problem of the shortage of nurse staff in the State,” Hek said here on Saturday.
While appreciating the efforts of the existing staff to fill up this gap, he said that the department will try to fill up these vacant posts at the earliest.
Earlier on Friday, the Meghalaya Government Nursing Service Association (MGNSA) has urged upon the State Government to fill up the lying vacant of 200 plus nursing post with immediate effect.
“The delay in the filling up of these vacancies has increased the work load of the existing staff. With the shortage of manpower, nurses are bound to perform their duties by doing overtime which is a difficult task ,” MGNSA general secretary B Thabah said in a letter addressed to Principal Secretary in charge Health and Family Welfare.
Earlier, the All Meghalaya Bonded Auxilary Nursing Midwifery (AMBANM) students have asked the State Health and Family Welfare Minister to call off the written tests immediately which is scheduled to take place on June 24.