Gordershan Kaur Khurana is the Secretary General of the All India Government Nurses Federation. Khurana worked in the RML hospital in Delhi as Head Nurse. She served in this hospital from 1968 till her retirement in the year 2005. In the year 2008, she received the Florence Nightingale award. In an interview with Navdeep Nandre of DTMT, she shares her experiences as a Nurse and as well as the General Secretary of the Federation. Here are some excerpts:
Drug Today Medical Times: What is PRIS (Performance related increment scheme)? Why does the All India Government Nurses Federation want it abolished?
G.K Khurana: PRIS stands for Performance Related Increment Scheme. I feel that this performance related scheme is not accurate. For example, if any junior flatters her senior, that particular junior gets promotion. On the other hand, if any junior nurse argues with her senior, even for a genuine reason, it is seen that the senior gives adverse remarks relating to her. This is the reason why the Federation wants to abolish this scheme.
DTMT: What is your comment on the working hours of nurses working in Railway Hospitals?
Khurana: These nurses actually have to overwork. Till date the railway nurses get four days leave in a month, whereas other government nurses gets eight days leave every month, in addition to three days of national holidays (October 2, August 15 and January 26).
The Railway Hospitals never bother about all these things. They make their own rules. The Railway officers are working for five days in a week, whereas Railway nurses have to work for six to seven days. For this we have written to the Ministry of Railways also.
DTMT: Is comparison of Government Nurses with Private Sector Nurses rational?
Khurana: It is not at all rational because there are many differences in the working of Government Nurses and the Nurses of the Private Sector. Hardly 10% of the private sector nurses are trained, 90% of them are not properly trained. A private hospital nurse can be any one, may be a 10th or 12th pass. These are the ones who are not registered with any of the registered councils.
The Government Nurses appear for the interview, and are Registered Nurses. A private hospital nurse never struggles for things in the hospital. When a patient goes to the private hospitals, everything is ordered through a chemist in the bill of the patient. On the other hand, a Government Nurse needs to arrange everything from top to bottom. Getting things signed from the Medical Officer or Senior Store Officer is the most difficult job for the nurses of the government hospitals. For any thing missing in the government hospitals, nurses are answerable.
DTMT: It has recently been reported in the media that two staff nurses from Jodhpur passed away due to Congo haemorrhagic fever. Another one dies of HINI. They acquired these diseases while doing their duties. What should be the role of the government in such cases?
Khurana: Proper protection material, whatever is required as per the WHO norms, should be supplied to the hospitals. It is seen that central government hospitals are better supplied with these, but state hospitals are not properly supplied. Many a times, it seen that the state hospitals ignore this aspect. If any death occurs of any of the medical staff, his or her family should get compensation.
G.K Khurana: PRIS stands for Performance Related Increment Scheme. I feel that this performance related scheme is not accurate. For example, if any junior flatters her senior, that particular junior gets promotion. On the other hand, if any junior nurse argues with her senior, even for a genuine reason, it is seen that the senior gives adverse remarks relating to her. This is the reason why the Federation wants to abolish this scheme.
DTMT: What is your comment on the working hours of nurses working in Railway Hospitals?
Khurana: These nurses actually have to overwork. Till date the railway nurses get four days leave in a month, whereas other government nurses gets eight days leave every month, in addition to three days of national holidays (October 2, August 15 and January 26).
The Railway Hospitals never bother about all these things. They make their own rules. The Railway officers are working for five days in a week, whereas Railway nurses have to work for six to seven days. For this we have written to the Ministry of Railways also.
DTMT: Is comparison of Government Nurses with Private Sector Nurses rational?
Khurana: It is not at all rational because there are many differences in the working of Government Nurses and the Nurses of the Private Sector. Hardly 10% of the private sector nurses are trained, 90% of them are not properly trained. A private hospital nurse can be any one, may be a 10th or 12th pass. These are the ones who are not registered with any of the registered councils.
The Government Nurses appear for the interview, and are Registered Nurses. A private hospital nurse never struggles for things in the hospital. When a patient goes to the private hospitals, everything is ordered through a chemist in the bill of the patient. On the other hand, a Government Nurse needs to arrange everything from top to bottom. Getting things signed from the Medical Officer or Senior Store Officer is the most difficult job for the nurses of the government hospitals. For any thing missing in the government hospitals, nurses are answerable.
DTMT: It has recently been reported in the media that two staff nurses from Jodhpur passed away due to Congo haemorrhagic fever. Another one dies of HINI. They acquired these diseases while doing their duties. What should be the role of the government in such cases?
Khurana: Proper protection material, whatever is required as per the WHO norms, should be supplied to the hospitals. It is seen that central government hospitals are better supplied with these, but state hospitals are not properly supplied. Many a times, it seen that the state hospitals ignore this aspect. If any death occurs of any of the medical staff, his or her family should get compensation.
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