It has been over 20 years since the government-trained junior public health nurses in the State started petitioning the Department of Health for a service matter, but to no avail. A plea to consider their provisional service as regular service was the major demand put forth by the nurses at their State convention held in Kozhikode on Saturday. Unlike the junior public health nurses trained in private institutions, those trained in government training centres had an added advantage of entering service in Public Health Centres as soon as they completed their course under provisional service.
Only after 6 to 8 years of service did they get an opportunity to appear for a PSC test and clear it. Once cleared, they could be enrolled on regular service. However, until an order passed in September 1994, their provisional service was added to the regular service, gaining them a clear mileage in matters of promotions and other benefits. The plea of the nurses to re-enact the system has fallen on deaf ears.
“We had made several petitions to higher authorities. The court had directed us to challenge the order. But the government has shown no interest in the matter so far”, said Beena K. Joseph, secretary of the Kerala Government Trained Junior Public Health Nurses Organisation.
