Hyderabad, Jul 7 (IANS): Tension prevailed near Telangana Chief Minister's official residence here on Wednesday as a large number of outsourcing nurses whose services were terminated tried to stage a protest.

The nurses alleged that the government threw them out of the jobs after using their services during Covid-19 pandemic.

Demanding their reinstatement, the nurses tried to march towards Pragati Bhawan, the official residence of the Chief Minister in Begumpet. When police personnel stopped the protestors, they sat on the roads raising slogans against the government.

Police personnel had a tough time in controlling the situation as some nurses tried to run towards the Pragati Bhawan. Policewomen chased the protestors to stop them for barging in. They were physically lifted and taken to the waiting police vehicles.

The nurses were shifted to different police stations. The protestors alleged that a total of 1,640 nurses serving in the government-run hospitals across the state on outsourcing bases were removed from services.

Some of the protestors were seen crying while speaking to the media persons. They said the government's action has landed them and their families in crisis.

"During Covid pandemic, the government said nurses are like gods. Now they left the gods on the road," said a nurse.

"Despite the risk to our lives, we served the Covid patients. We rendered the services when even their family members were not coming near them. After using our services, the government has dumped us," said another protestor.

The nurses were recruited specifically for Covid-19 duties in March last year. They had Tuesday staged a demonstration at the office of Director of Medical Education (DME).

Dr Ramesh Reddy, the DME however, said the nurses were well aware of the fact that their posts are temporary.