Protesters outside the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services in Chennai on Tuesday.
\| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Nurses affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association on Tuesday staged a demonstration on the premises of the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) in Chennai to put forward their long-pending demands.

The association’s office-bearers met the Director of Medical and Rural Health Services and submitted their petitions. One of their key demands to the directorate was to immediately withdraw staff reduction measures and the redeployment of nursing posts being implemented under the guise of a restructuring exercise.

There is an acute shortage of nurses in the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, government hospitals, and government medical college hospitals.

The government should create permanent nursing posts in existing hospitals and newly established hospitals based on patient load and recommendations of the National Medical Commission and the Indian Public Health Standards. It should create new Nursing Superintendent Grade III, Grade II, and Grade I promotional posts.

This is to ensure promotions for nurses and regularise all remaining nurses employed on consolidated pay. Permanent posts should be created in the six upcoming nursing colleges and ensure promotion opportunities for nurses.

Contract recruitments

The government should withdraw its decision to fill posts through the Medical Services Recruitment Board on an 11-month contract. It should take steps to regularise nurses currently working on a contract basis and do away with the practice of consolidated pay appointments in the future by recruiting nurses only to permanent posts.

The association said authorities assured its representatives that their demands would be taken up with Health Minister K.G. Arunraj, and a meeting would be arranged within a week.

Published - July 21, 2026 11:39 pm IST