Staff nurses employed in various government hospitals in the State have urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to provide vaccination to their family members following high risk of getting infected with COVID-19, recruitment of more nurses to overcome existing shortage, release of risk allowances, and provision of mutual consultations during night shift.
Mr Yediyurappa on Monday held an hour-long virtual conference with staff nurses of nearly a dozen hospitals and appreciated their tireless efforts round-the-clock in providing treatment for COVID-19 patients. Leaving aside all their personal difficulties, and maintaining distance with their family members, nurses have been rendering yeoman service to humanity, the Chief Minister said.
There are 21,574 staff nurses and they are being paid additional risk allowance of ₹8,000 per month besides salary, the Chief Minister said.
Noting death of six nurses owing to COVID-19, Mr. Yediyurappa said insurance of ₹50 lakh would be provided to family members of the deceased nurses under the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package”, insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19. The amount has been paid in three cases and efforts would be made to release the insurance amount in three other cases.
The Chief Minister also assured nurses of providing training, self-protective items such as PPE kits, gloves, masks, face shields, hand sanitizers and other essentials for discharging duties during the pandemic.
On the demand for providing risk allowances, he said an order has been issued for providing additional ₹8,000 per month.
Vaheeda of Wenlock District Hospital, Mangaluru, urged the government to provide vaccination facilities to all family members of nurses to ensure their safety. The Chief Minister spoke to Renuka Googihala of the government hospital in Badami taluk, who had lost her husband two months ago, and told her to take care of her child.
Sandhyarani of Chikkamagaluru District Hospital urged the Chief Minister to fill vacancies of staff nurses in hospitals for providing better treatment.
Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar and senior officials were present.
