Shillong: Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress vice-president Banphiralang Basaiawmoit demanded an 80:20 female-to-male nursing recruitment ratio at NEIGRIHMS on Thursday. He claims this shift ensures patient dignity in sensitive settings like maternity wards, labour rooms, paediatric intensive care units, and female wards. He argued, "The demand was not intended to discriminate against male nurses but to ensure that patients, particularly women and children in sensitive clinical settings, were comfortable receiving care."
Basaiawmoit flagged a lopsided hiring trend at the institute. The latest recruitment drive reportedly brought in 134 men, but only 15 nurses from Meghalaya. He noted that recent batches saw roughly 90 per cent male hires compared to 10 per cent female. Records show that out of 223 nurses recruited in 2023, 124 came from Rajasthan while just 15 were local. A similar imbalance occurred in 2019, when the institute hired 111 candidates from Rajasthan.
Local nursing aspirants struggle to compete. Meghalaya lacks the specialized coaching institutes found elsewhere. Basaiawmoit urged the administration to rethink recruitment strategies to help local talent, while still upholding high medical standards. He also warned the facility to plan for upcoming staffing gaps. Nurses hired in 2005 will retire within the next five to ten years, threatening a workforce shortage.
The Youth Congress leader plans to escalate these concerns. He intends to speak with the local MP and bring the matter to Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on October 27. Basaiawmoit pointed to past allegations of negligence at the hospital, insisting that patient safety and public confidence must drive future policy decisions.
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