Scores of nurses from government and private hospitals today held a protest meet at Jantar Mantar against the government's decision to outsource the existing vacancies in government hospitals including AIIMS Jodhpur.
"It was decided by the authorities to outsource the vacancies of nursing jobs to private companies. This action of government is discriminatory and it will devalue the nursing profession and compromise the healthcare needs of Indian citizens.
"A steadily declining state investment in public health-as reflected in the recent cut in health budget and the new recruitment rules (2014) for recruiting nurses point out the same," said Vipin Krishnan, President of All India Nurses Association.
Krishnan further said this would lead to "exploitation of nurses".
There is a huge shortage of government-funded nursing colleges as a result of which many who wish to make nursing as a profession are forced to take educational loans so as to obtain nursing degrees from private nursing colleges, he said.
