Tamil Nadu’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma. Subramanian announced on Friday that 1,000 contract nurses will be regularised and given permanent positions before the Pongal festival, responding to long-standing demands from nursing staff and ongoing agitation for job security.Speaking to reporters, Subramanian said that the process of regularising contract nurses has been ongoing under the DMK government, and 4,825 nurses have already been made permanent since 2021.
With growing pressure from the remaining workforce — numbering over 8,000 contract nurses — the move to regularise an additional 1,000 nurses before the major festival was taken to address their concerns and extend stability to frontline healthcare workers.
The decision follows multiple rounds of discussions between the government and nursing representatives, including talks held on December 19, 22 and 24, under the guidance of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. In response to these consultations, the government agreed to clear pending promotions and create new posts to support the absorption of contract nurses into permanent government service.
The move has also led to the withdrawal of a nearly week-long strike by contract nurses, who had been protesting for permanent appointments and improved service conditions. The assurance of phased regularisation, beginning with the 1,000 nurses before Pongal, was accepted by the protest leaders.
In addition to position regularisation, the government is working on welfare measures for contract nurses, including the introduction of paid maternity leave in line with the Central Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, with a formal government order expected soon.
The government’s phased regularisation plan aims to gradually bring the remaining contract nurses into permanent positions, ensuring improved job security and benefits for healthcare personnel who have long served in public hospitals across the state.