Jaipur: Three contractual nursing staff members, including a woman, climbed a nearly 90-foot-high water tank inside the Jaipuria Hospital premises in Jaipur on Friday, demanding immediate recruitment for thousands of vacant healthcare posts and recognition of their years of service.
The protesters are seeking the announcement of recruitment for 12,000 Nursing Officer posts and 7,000 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) posts, with appointments based on merit and bonus marks.
Protesters refuse to climb down
The three protesters — Vimal Sharma (32), Robin Sharma (28), and Sanjita Chaudhary (30) — climbed the water tank early Friday morning and remained there throughout the day despite intermittent rainfall and repeated appeals from officials.
Police and Civil Defence personnel were deployed at the site, and a safety net was installed beneath the water tank as a precaution. Authorities continued negotiations to persuade the trio to come down safely.
Contractual healthcare workers extend support
As news of the protest spread, a large number of contractual healthcare workers, including ANMs, GNMs, pharmacists and nursing staff, gathered outside Jaipuria Hospital in support of the protesters.
Police later dispersed the crowd and restricted access around the water tank to ensure public safety.
The protesters said they have been demanding merit-based recruitment with bonus marks for nearly two years. Despite submitting multiple memorandums to the state government and senior health officials, they claimed no concrete action has been taken.
Workers demand recognition of Covid service
The contractual employees alleged that they continue to receive low wages despite performing duties similar to regular government staff, leading to financial hardship, job insecurity and mental stress.
They argued that recruitment based solely on a written examination would ignore the experience gained while serving in the health department over the past several years.
Contractual nursing staff members claimed that GNMs, pharmacists and nursing personnel receive around Rs 7,900 per month, while ANMs are paid approximately Rs 6,300 per month, despite working eight to nine hours daily.
Supporting the protest, contractual workers said many had served on the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic after being assured that their experience would be recognised during future recruitment.
They warned that if the government fails to provide a written assurance, nearly 20,000 contractual healthcare workers across Rajasthan could launch a statewide agitation.
The protesters maintained that they would continue their protest until the state government gives a written commitment to address their demands.