Government hospitals have been reeling under staff shortage

The 198th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, which nurses observed across the world on Saturday, had little cheer for nurses at public hospitals in the city besieged with staff shortage.

Government hospitals have been reeling under staff shortage, with less than 50% of the sanctioned cadre at any hospital. The burden has been increased on the existing staff further due to retirements, promotions and transfers. This in turn, nurses say, has put them in the line of fire.“Due to shortage, the quality of care is greatly reduced. When patients do not get required attention, their families turn on us. Untoward incidents at hospitals are often a result of staff shortage,” a nurse at Niloufer Hospital said.

The government has hired nurses on contract basis, but a large-scale recruitment to address shortage has not taken place in about a decade. Telangana government had initiated steps by starting the recruitment process in March, but results of the recruitment examination are yet to be announced.“The work load has greatly increased due to KCR Kits and due to increase in specialisation. Many cases that government hospitals see are those which are turned away by private hospitals and are among the most serious cases. Nurses are often blamed for deaths,” said V. Mariama, President for Telangana Nurses Association.

Nurses have protested at hospitals, calling them off when assurances were made by the government. They have also questioned participation of top representatives of the government, including the Health Minister, in public events besides making representations to hire staff.On Saturday, nurses across hospitals organised Florence Nightingale’s birth anniversary celebrations with an emphasis to get the government pay heed to the problems of shortage.