TIMS Covid-only nurses demand 20 pc weightage in nursing recruitment

Nursing staff, hired on a contractual basis during the Covid pandemic at Telangana Institute of Medical Science (TIMS) in Gachibowli, initiated protests at various sites.

Hyderabad: Nursing staff recruited during the Covid pandemic at Telangana Institute of Medical Science (TIMS), Gachibowli on contract basis launched protests at multiple locations including Dr B R Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat in Hyderabad on Monday, demanding implementation of 20 percent weightage marks in the final merit list of candidates who were selected for the 6956 posts of Staff Nurse in Telangana.

The protesting nurses, who also had appeared for the Computer Based Examination held in August, 2023 by Medical and Health Services Recruitment Board (MHSRB), are demanding that the State government provide them 20 percent weightage marks for discharging their duties during the peak of the Covid pandemic at TIMS.

---

The protesting nurses alleged that the Recruitment Board ignored their multiple representations, which were made in the month of January, and went ahead to finalize the merit list. “The earlier BRS Government had promised to provide 20 percent weightage to all the nurses who were employed for Covid only duty at TIMS, Gachibowli.

However, these promises have not been fulfilled and already the MHSRB has released the final merit list of candidates selected for the posts of Staff Nurse,” the nurses said.

We are urging the State government to consider our request of providing 20 percent weightage marks so that some of us who have appeared for the entrance examination will stand a chance of getting Government employment,” nurses said. A group of nurses on Monday also personally met Health Minister, Damodar Raja Narasimha and requested his intervention into the issue.