HYC demands Centre to accord approval to NEIGRIHMS to implement 80:20 female to male ratio

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 11, 2025

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday sought the intervention of the Union Health & Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda for according approval to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institutes of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) to implement the provision of 80:20 ratio female-male nurses.

In a letter to Nadda, HYC president Roykupar Synrem said, “We humbly urge you to kindly issue necessary direction to accord approval by the Ministry to NEIGRIHMS to implement the provision of 80:20 Female: Male nurses as adopted by the Central Institute Body of AIIMS, New Delhi as well as other Institutes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.”

He said that the NEIGRIHMS vide Advertisement dated January 22, 2025 had called for filling up of 105 Posts of Nursing Officers. However, the said Advertisement does not specify as to the ratio of female-to-male Nurses to be recruited and we fear that this will lead to more number of Male Nurses being appointed in the Institute as is evident during the last 2 recruitment processes.

Synrem informed that the NEIGRIHMS had written to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on July 9, 2024 seeking approval from the Ministry to implement the provision of 80:20 Female: Male nurses as adopted by the Central Institute Body of AIIMS, New Delhi as well as other Institutes or Undertaking of the Government of India like ESIC Hospitals including the Institute of National Importance like JIPMER where 80% posts of Nursing Officers are reserved for female Candidates.

However, the Ministry vide letter dated 08-08-2024 had replied that “NEIGRIHMS may be advised not to adopt provision of 80:20 (Female: Male) nurses as adopted by AIIMS, NEW Delhi”.

“This advice of the Ministry not only affects the administration of NEIGRIHMS but also affects the sentiments of the patients seeking medical assistance in the Institute,” he stated.

According to him, NEIGRIHMS has around 40 different departments/areas where Nursing Officers are being posted and only 3 of these departments are male wards.

Further, Synrem pointed out that in wards like PICU/ICU, the Mothers or Female patients are not comfortable with male nurses attending to their child or to breastfeed their child in the presence of Male Nurses.

“There are apprehensions on the Male Nurses to perform certain procedures of Nursing care to female patients or leaving a female child or patient in closed rooms with only the male Nurses. Therefore, it is necessary that maximum numbers of female Nurses be appointed for patient and comfort and care in the Institute by adopting the 80:20 ratio,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the HYC has also submitted a memorandum to the Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar requesting his intervention into the matter.