Meghalaya Nursing Service Rules, 2008
SHILLONG: In support to the stand taken by the Meghalaya Government Nurses Service Association (MGNSA), the bonded Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM) Nurses in the State has also demanded for an amendment of the Meghalaya Nursing Service Rules, 2008.
“We are not happy with the existing service rules. We would amendment of the existing service rules which will be in the best interest of the Government nurses in the State,” the bonded ANM nurses said in a statement issued here on Sunday.
The bonded ANM nurses also questioned the news report which appeared in a section of the media on June 30 which reported that the High Court of Meghalaya had justified the decision of the State Government to conduct the ANM Examination June 24 based on the Rule 7 (2), Meghalaya Nursing Service Rule 2008.
“The reference of Rule 7 (2) by the State Government does not stand since the existing service rules are yet to be approved either by the Cabinet or State Assembly. The existing service rules are not a final one and so it cannot be implemented,” the bonded ANM nurses asserted.
Meanwhile, they have demanded that the Government should follow the same procedure which was followed till 2007 where there is direct recruitment of the bonded ANM nurses on batch wise.
Mentionably, there are more than 300 plus bonded ANMs nurses belonging to the 2008 batch onwards who are awaiting appointment.
Earlier, the MGNSA had threatened to take the path of agitation if the State Government failed to comply with their demand to give preference to the bonded nurses while filling up the various vacant posts of ANM nurses.
“The State Government should follow the policy which has been going for the past many years while appointing of the ANMs nurses,” MGNSA general secretary B Thabah stated.
She said that the decision of the Government to put the bonded and non-bonded nurses on the same board is totally unjustified.
According to her, the bonded ANMs pass through a selection process before they get into the nursing courses. “The non-bonded ANMs have not gone through similar process,”the association said.
As per the convention, MGNSA general secretary said that the bonded nurses do not have to appear for any interview and they are appointed on merit and batch wise basis.
While countering the claim of the Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek that the decision of asking the bonded ANMs to appear for both the written test and personal interview was as per Rule 7 (2) of the Meghalaya Nurses’ Service Rules, 2008, Thabah said that the nurses service rules is yet to be approved either by the Cabinet or the State Assembly.
“The Nurses at present is yet to have a full fledge services rules of its own. We have been fighting for this for the past ten years,” MGNSA general secretary said.
She said that the present service rules which is in place is the service rules which was adopted from the other departments.
“We have been demanding that there should be amendment of the service rules which would protect and safeguard the interest of the Government nurses in the State,” Thabah said.
MGNSA general secretary said that the Government had assured that they would constitute a drafting committee which will be equally represented by the members from the nurses association.
‘But till date this committee was never constituted. Our main concerned about the service rules is about the method of recruitment. We would want that a clause should be inserted in the service rules about the direct appointment of the bonded nurses,” she said.
He said that senior government official have told them that the amendment of the service rules will not take even a month if the Government is serious on the matter.
Meanwhile, MGNSA general secretary also demanded that the State Government should adopt the same yardstick like they have done while filling up the vacancies for 360 posts of General Nursing & Midwifery (GNMs) in various district hospitals and health care centres in the State.
“The department had exempted the bonded candidates from appearing the written test. It is totally unacceptable to have two separate policies for recruitment of the job of similar nature,” Thabah added.