Kerala bishops demand decent salaries for nurses

May 01, 2012: The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) has come out in support of nursing community that has been demanding fair salaries for some months.
In his May Day message, KCBC Labor Commission chairperson Bishop Jose Porunnedom of Mananthavady, called for setting up a Hospital Regulatory Authority to monitor the health care sector in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

Referring to the allegations that Church-run organizations were not paying decent remuneration to their staff, the message said, “Injustice toward those working with Catholic organizations cannot be justified".

However, the condition of the nurses working in private hospitals is pathetic, Bishop Porunnedom said and noted a “huge difference” in the salaries of nurses and doctors.

Quite often nurses do not get a salary proportional to the amount they spent for studies,” the prelate noted.
Coming down heavily on doctors, the message said, “There are doctors who do not want their salary to be accounted to evade taxes. The hospital managements that need their services are forced to misappropriate account.”

The KCBC message comes in the backdrop of nurses strike in several hospitals around the country for fair salaries and decent working conditions.
The prelate also observed unrest brewing in the unorganized sector as sales girls, non-medical staff, teachers of unaided schools and domestic workers get not even the minimum wages.

He alleged that neither the government nor the trade unions have shown interest in the welfare of laborers in the unorganized sector.