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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

About the Nursing Uprising in Kerala

Let me try to put things in perspective: Nursing profession got attractive among Kerala youth not because they thought that they will get great jobs in Kerala or to that matter in India. They were dreaming/aiming at working and migrating to abroad. That's why they took huge loans and studied in nursing colleges mostly outside Kerala giving hefty capitation fees. They just wanted jobs for 2-3 years in prestigious Kerala hospitals to get working experience. But now because of GFC and the impending GFC II, the would nursing market is coming down and our nurses are no more welcome in those countries as in the past (They just implement tough IELTS condition, etc, etc which our new nurses cant get). The nursing community realize the danger. They are stuck. Also our medical field/industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. Nurses see that. They want a share of it. Fair, but the effect will be rocketing hospital/medical fees/expenses in Kerala. No more cheap labor, which is good, but that will result in a situation medical assistance going away from the reach of poor masses in Kerala, in the near future. We can also expect a cut in the number of nursing positions in hospitals, which means lesser job opportunities for new nursing students and deteriorating nursing care in hospitals. What we need is a balance. Nursing should remain as a noble profession of serving and not to be considered as a profession to make money. At the same time improve the working and salary conditions of the nurses to just-wage levels so that nurses can continue this serving ministry with dignity. Feel free to express your creative responses. No abuse please.

Published at MarunadanMalayalee

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