From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Oct 14: The ruling Congress has alleged that the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bengaluru, of treating nurses, who have been on strike for the last 20 days, like “bonded labourers.”
Congress MLC and close confidant of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaraimah, who addressed reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday, claimed that KIMS has been paying a meagre salary and denying casual leave and other facilities to the nurses.
Ugrappa, who heads the State Legislature’s Women Safety Committee, alleged that KIMS management hired services of nurses on contract terms and has been paying Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 7,000 a month against the salary of Rs 17,600 to Rs 32,000 for permanent nurses.
The Ugrappa-headed panel, which visited KIMS and met its management, has claimed that nearly 2500 patients visit KIMS, registered under the Society’s Act on a daily basis and therefore the workload of the nurses was sufficiently high.
As per the Medical Council of India rules, he said the hospital must hire services of 1135 nurses. But the KIMS hospital has 629 nurses.
During the recruitment in 2011, it had employed only women nurses on contract terms.
Vokkaliga community leaders must step in:
The nurses have been staging protest at the KIMS premises demanding regularisation of services. But the management has declined to regularise their services citing financial difficulties, Ugrappa said.
By denying just remuneration and other facilities, he said “nurses are being treated like bonded labourers.”
The Congress leader demanded immediate intervention of the Vokkaliga community leaders to ensure justice to striking nurses.
The Medical Education Department and its Secretary should also immediately intervene and set right issues at KIMS, the Congress leader said.
NIMHANS doctors blamed for the death of girl:
Ugrappa said the lack of coordination among doctors of hospitals and inadequate number of ventilators at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS), a premier medical institute, was responsible for the death of a girl child Gagana in the city.
He said doctors have impinged upon the fundamental right to life and liberty enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution by denying treatment.
Ugrappa, who visited NIMANS and held discussions with its director, said denial of treatment by NIMHANS doctors owing to shortage of ventilators, led the death of the girl child.
NIMHANS has 35 ventilators and there are seven operation theatres. Neurosurgeons conduct 10 operations a day.