Strike by nurses ends: TN Health Minister

Chennai, Dec 24 (PTI) Accepting the government's proposal to regularise the services of 1,000 nurses initially and others gradually, nurses pressing for demands, including permanent employment, concluded their week-long protest on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said.

The government has decided that in the first phase, as many as 1,000 nurses on contract would be absorbed into the government service and the services of others shall also be made permanent in a gradual manner, the minister said in a statement, adding this has been accepted by the nurses and they have ended their strike.

The nurses ended their protest following talks held by Subramanian on Wednesday, which followed by parleys held on December 19 and 22.

The protest by nurses commenced with a hunger strike here on December 18, 2025. They were recruited by the government through the Medical Services Recruitment Board. Working on a consolidated pay on contract, their key demand is a permanent government job. Over 7,000 nurses have been demanding permanent employment and a chunk of them are affiliated to the TN Nurses Empowerment Association. According to the government, last year alone, 1,693 nurses have been made permanent. PTI VGN VGN KH