A total of 30 staff nurses appointed at government hospitals on a contractual basis by the Medical Recruitment Board at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) have expressed concern over the delay in sanctioning their pay raise and have urged the authorities to resolve the pending payments at the earliest.According to a Government Order with effect from May 1, 2021, the nurses’ salaries were increased from ₹14,000 to ₹18,000 with a 5% annual increment applicable from their date of joining until their date of transfer to time scale of pay.While the regularisation had been carried out for a significant number of nurses in the past few years, at least 200 are still waiting for the new terms to be implemented in the districts of Tiruchi, Madurai, Karur, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar. and Erode, said sources.“We were initially employed to serve during the COVID-19 pandemic, under the auspices of the State government’s special schemes. We deserve the same consideration as the others in our salary and emoluments. It has been five years since the 2021 order, but we are given excuses each time we raise the issue,” V. Sara, a nurse working at a government hospital in Tiruchi, told The Hindu.Nurses under government service can earn upwards of ₹30,000 as salaries.Maternity benefits were sanctioned for the contractual nurses only in 2025. MRB nurses earning ₹14,000 a month were given an annual increment of ₹500 while those on the ₹18,000 pay roll get ₹900.“Some of the new appointees under the National Health Mission are earning more than contractual nurses. We urge the new government to end the pay disparity as soon as possible,” said Ms. Sara. Published - August 13, 2026 06:41 pm IST