Government should initiate steps including bringing a legislation to address the issue of nurses in Kerala who do not get minimum wages and are exploited by private medical colleges and hospitals, a CPI-M member said in the Rajya Sabha.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, T N Seema (CPI-M) said a large number of nurses in Kerala were being exploited by private medical institutions and they had no job security.
Seema said while private medical hospitals were on one hand exploiting patients with inflated bills, they were not paying even minimum wages to nurses who serve the patients.
She said in the absence of adequate wages nurses had to take loans from banks even as cases of sexual harassment against nurses and suicides were reported from Kerala.
Seema said there are reports that 40,000 nurses in Kerala face confiscation of their assets as they are unable to pay loans taken from banks.
"The only remedy is to bring a Central legislation to protect their working conditions," she said, asking government to bring about such a law to save the lives of thousands of nurses in Kerala.
While a number of members supported the cause of nurses, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, "I think it involves our sisters...They are underpaid. The sense of the House is that government needs to take some steps."
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said, "We place on record our deep appreciation to the nurses for their services. Nurses are the most hard working people and I will convey the sentiments of the members to the Health Minister.
