Delhi govt hospitals contractual nursing staff to hold protest on June 23

The protest, announced by DNF, will begin with a silent march outside the Delhi Secretariat on June 23 followed by a second protest on June 24

Hundreds of contractual nurses working in Delhi government hospitals are set to stage a two-day protest on June 23 and 24, demanding an extension of their services beyond June 30, when their current contracts are set to expire.

Delhi govt hospitals contractual nursing staff to hold protest on June 23

The protest, announced by the Delhi Nurses Federation (DNF), will begin with a silent march outside the Delhi Secretariat on June 23 from 4 to 7pm, followed by a second protest at 2pm on June 24 at the same venue.

DNF, which represents nearly 1,000 contractual nursing officers, warned that if their demands are not met, they will begin an indefinite hunger strike starting June 25.

“For over a decade, the government has been extending our contracts yearly. This time, we were given only a three-month extension in March, valid until June 30. Now, we don’t even know if we’ll have jobs next month,” said Pawan Choudhary, a nursing officer at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

DNF founder-president Leeladhar said the group has repeatedly urged successive governments to formulate a proper policy for contractual staff, including regularisation. “We’ve served through health crises, including the pandemic, when not only were our services retained but additional nurses were hired. It is heartbreaking that those same nurses are now staring at termination,” he said.

Vandana Chaudhary, general secretary of the All Delhi Contractual Nursing Officers Association, pointed to the precarious future faced by many nurses. “Some of us won’t be eligible for reappointment through exams due to age limits. If we lose these jobs, there’s nowhere to go,” she said.

DNF has also submitted a formal request to the Delhi health department seeking immediate intervention.

Meanwhile, the health department has begun appointing permanent staff through the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB). Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh clarified that while new staff have started joining, the government does not intend to displace experienced contractual nurses. “We’re assessing the current vacancies across hospitals. Once we know how many permanent positions are filled, we will look at accommodating existing contractual nurses. There are no plans to remove them,” Singh said.

Hundreds of contractual nurses working in Delhi government hospitals are set to stage a two-day protest on June 23 and 24, demanding an extension of their services beyond June 30, when their current contracts are set to expire.

The protest, announced by the Delhi Nurses Federation (DNF), will begin with a silent march outside the Delhi Secretariat on June 23 from 4 to 7pm, followed by a second protest at 2pm on June 24 at the same venue.

DNF, which represents nearly 1,000 contractual nursing officers, warned that if their demands are not met, they will begin an indefinite hunger strike starting June 25.

“For over a decade, the government has been extending our contracts yearly. This time, we were given only a three-month extension in March, valid until June 30. Now, we don’t even know if we’ll have jobs next month,” said Pawan Choudhary, a nursing officer at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

DNF founder-president Leeladhar said the group has repeatedly urged successive governments to formulate a proper policy for contractual staff, including regularisation. “We’ve served through health crises, including the pandemic, when not only were our services retained but additional nurses were hired. It is heartbreaking that those same nurses are now staring at termination,” he said.

Vandana Chaudhary, general secretary of the All Delhi Contractual Nursing Officers Association, pointed to the precarious future faced by many nurses. “Some of us won’t be eligible for reappointment through exams due to age limits. If we lose these jobs, there’s nowhere to go,” she said.

DNF has also submitted a formal request to the Delhi health department seeking immediate intervention.

Meanwhile, the health department has begun appointing permanent staff through the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB). Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh clarified that while new staff have started joining, the government does not intend to displace experienced contractual nurses. “We’re assessing the current vacancies across hospitals. Once we know how many permanent positions are filled, we will look at accommodating existing contractual nurses. There are no plans to remove them,” Singh said.