Editor,
I would like to draw the urgent attention of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, the health department and the general public to a deeply concerning issue affecting the nursing profession in the state.
Recently, an advertisement surfaced, announcing a walk-in interview for the recruitment of nurses for TRIHMS hospital, Naharlagun, through a private security agency on an outsourcing basis for a period of merely six months. For the nursing community, this was not only shocking but also deeply humiliating. Nurses, who form the backbone of the healthcare system, are being recruited through agencies unrelated to healthcare, as if our profession requires no dignity, expertise, or professional recognition.
Nursing is not an unskilled occupation. It is a highly trained and specialised profession. Nurses dedicate years to rigorous academic and clinical training – three years in general nursing and midwifery (GNM) or four years in BSc nursing. Many further upgrade their qualifications through post basic BSc nursing and MSc nursing with specialisations such as medical-surgical nursing, obstetrics and gynecological nursing, paediatric nursing, mental health nursing, oncology nursing, and several other advanced fields. These qualifications are recognised nationally and internationally.
Despite such dedication and professional training, nurses in Arunachal continue to face a longstanding injustice. For decades, many nurses have been repeatedly recruited on temporary or contractual basis, often without job security or proper professional recognition. This practice stands in stark contrast to other professions. Doctors, engineers, teachers, police personnel and administrative staffs are regularly recruited through proper examination boards and provided permanent appointments with government benefits and job security.
This raises a fundamental question: why is the nursing profession treated differently? Why are nurses repeatedly pushed into temporary and outsourcing arrangements while other government departments receive regular recruitment and permanent posts? Such practices not only undermine the dignity of nurses but also weaken the healthcare system, as constant contractual hiring disrupts continuity, stability, and morale within hospitals.
Nurses are the frontline caregivers who remain closest to patients – day and night – in emergencies, in critical care and in maternal and child health services. A healthcare system cannot function effectively without a stable and respected nursing workforce.
Therefore, we strongly urge the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the authorities concerned to immediately reconsider such recruitment practices. Nurses must be recruited through proper and transparent government recruitment bodies such as APPSC, and permanent positions should be created to ensure job security, professional dignity, and better healthcare delivery for the people of the state.
The time has come for meaningful reform. The voices of the nursing community must be heard and the dignity of this noble profession must be protected.
Toyum Sora