Members of the Tamil Nadu Village Health Nurses Welfare Association and the Tamil Nadu Government VHN, SHN, CHN Federation on Monday staged a protest outside the Collectorate here demanding promotions, benefits other pending needs.
A total of 354 nurses, all of them posted across the district have not received allowances for working as frontline workers during the pandemic, they said. While they were conducting door-to-door checks, ensuring COVID-19 patients were taken to hospitals and regular follow-up was done, the credit was being taken by others, they claimed.
“We want the government to hand out promotions despite gender discrimination. While a male health worker is regularly promoted, the women are being denied it,” said M. Gayathri Devi, District President, Tamil Nadu Village Health Nurses Welfare Association.
The village health nurses were also forced to train other staff nurses, posted in mini clinics, especially on performing deliveries. “While we perform the deliveries, the records show that they have performed it. After a few years, they receive a promotion and are posted in hospitals while we receive no incentives,” K. Gomathi, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Village Health Nurses Welfare Association said. Other issues, including irregular promotions and non-provision of two-wheeler allowances have also been raised, they said.
