‘We, the Nursing Staff of RML Hospital, Toiled for Years, and Now Terminated’

Video Producer: Maaz Hasan
Video Editor: Subroto Adhikari

When one dedicates 10-15 years of their life at a job, they expect growth and prosperity. But it wasn't meant for us, the contractual nursing staff of Delhi's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

On 14 February, 151 contractual nursing officers of the hospital were issued termination letters with a notice period of one month. The letter said:

"The contracts of the 151 contractual staff nurses stand terminated on the basis of first come last go basis by giving one month notice, from the date of issue of this order, depending on joining of new nursing officers."

RML Hospital's Termination Letter

The hospital is going to hire new permanent nursing staff and they are going to terminate the contractual staffers, some of whom have been at the hospital for over a decade.

"We dedicated the most important phase of our lives to the hospital. We served the hospital like regular employees. There were no complaints. Despite that, they are terminating us. Where will we go? We have come onto the streets, we don't know what will happen to our families."

Yadram Yadav, Nursing Officer

"In the most crucial times, during the three waves of COVID, we worked as frontline warriors, giving our best services, with utmost dedication. Now, the management of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital says that they are replacing us with permanent employees."

Ram Singh Yadav, Nursing Officer

Like everyone, we too have responsibilities on our shoulders and this termination letter has come as a big jolt.

"Once we are unemployed, how will we pay back the loans that we had taken against the job? What about our kids and parents, who are dependent on us and our jobs? How will we fulfill these needs if our jobs are taken away from us? Today, even if we go and search for a new job, it's not easy for us (to get a job). Many of us are now past an eligible age and we won't get a job. Many of us are dealing with health issues and there are several other problems. How will we be able to fight these problems if we won't have our jobs?"

Parul Chorasiya, Nursing Officer

It's been over a month that since we have been knocking doors of different government departments, but it seems like our cries are falling on deaf ears.

"After the termination notice was given to the nursing staff, we had written to the PMO and Health Ministry. It's been a while we submitted these letters, but nobody is listening to us."

Sharon Rose, Nursing Officer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that medical personnel who worked more than 100 days in COVID should be given priority for giving jobs. We hope that the promise made by the prime minister would be fulfilled.

Hoping for justice, we have moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) where the case is being heard. We hope that our livelihood would not be snatched away from us.

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