A few nurses who started working during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 at the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), are currently facing financial hardship due to unexpected reductions in their salaries. These nurses, typically earning a monthly income of less than Rs 25,000, are expressing grievances over deductions of as much as Rs 6,000 without a clear explanation.
The nurses mentioned that some amount was even cut from their salary as TDS (tax deducted at source) since September. However, the TDS amount cut from the salaries of nurses with similar pay is not the same. Some had Rs 3,000 cut while some had Rs 5,000 deducted.
As per media reports, the deductions began when the nurses stopped the ground-floor outpatient services at TIMS and moved everything except the beds to other hospitals. As TIMS gradually started falling apart, the staff were sent to work at different government hospitals such as Gandhi Hospital, NIMS, Koti Maternity Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, and Siddipet Government Hospital.
However, the nurses claim that they’re still in the dark about the deductions and no explanation has been furnished. They’re currently contemplating either submitting a collective resignation or taking legal action against the state government for what they believe to be improper handling of their salaries.
On 6 August of this year, Harish Rao, health minister of the state, declared that the Telangana government’s plans to establish four new hospitals with 1000 beds each in and around Hyderabad. These hospitals will be designed based on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).