No policy to recruit nursing interns: Nims director

Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences director L Narendranath said the senior nursing interns completing their internship period at the government medical institute-cum-hospital should pave the way for fresh trainees.

According to him, their demand seeking an extension to their internship period as “untenable with the law of the institute and the hospital has no policy approved by the executive board to absorb them on permanent rolls.”

Nims last week had asked around 18 nursing interns to leave as their three-year term got completed. The hospital has 76 interns and pays a monthly stipend in return for their services as house surgeons.

However, the interns have been protesting for the last six days urging the hospital to re-consider its decision. They have approached the state health minister on the issue and taken the matter to the labour court.   

Narendranath said the hospital publishes an advertisement to rope in interested nursing graduates to work as interns. The candidates have to pass an examination conducted by the hospital. Nims has recently gone for an advertisement to rope in the services of 200 interns.

“If each and every intern seeks a permanent job at the hospital, this is a lesson to us to re-consider this cadre (nursing interns),” he said.

Stating that he had to go by the executive board’s decision, he said if anything had to be done on compassionate grounds, the government should forward with a definitive stand.

When asked if there would be any impact if these interns leave, he said the hospital could work effectively even without them.