In a U-turn, Delhi's GB Pant hospital withdraws order directing nurses to not speak in Malayalam at work
The medical director of the Delhi government-run G B Pant hospital on Sunday said they have revoked a controversial order issued a day earlier, asking its nursing staff not to converse in Malayalam.
In a U-turn, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) in Delhi on Sunday withdrew its controversial order of directing its nursing staff "to use only Hindi and English for communication".
The medical director of the Delhi government-run G B Pant hospital said they have revoked a controversial order issued a day earlier, asking its nursing staff not to converse in Malayalam.
"A formal order withdrawing the circular will be issued soon. The matter is being investigated and action will follow," Medical Director Dr Anil Agarwal told PTI.
The Nursing Superintendent of the hospital had on Saturday issued a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work as "maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language which it said causes a lot of inconvenience.
The circular issued by the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), one of the leading facilities here, had asked its nurses to use only Hindi and English for communication or face "strict action".
G B Pant nurses’ association president Liladhar Ramchandani claimed it was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".
"A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER," the circular said.
Whereas maximum patient and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience".
Many nurses at various hospitals across India, hail from Kerala, with Malayalam being their native language. The circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.
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