MADURAI: Nurses from across Madurai district gathered in numbers in front of the primary health centres (PHCs) to protest against the proposed mandatory transfer after five years of service.
“The department is gradually announcing this mandatory transfer for different categories of staff. The order was received recently for community health nurses (CHN) and they are looking to implement it for other nurses too. We are against this because it would have a negative impact on quality care provided to patients,” said K Chinnaponnu, Madurai district secretary, Tamil Nadu Village Health Nurses Association. The protesters stressed that the work of nurses at the field level is important to bring down maternal and infant deaths.
“It is disheartening especially when we have worked hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. When a nurse works in a particular area, she is familiar with the people there and collects all the information to follow up with pregnant women and children. Transfer of nurses would disrupt this and patient care will be affected as patients will not be as comfortable,” she said.
