The Bombay high court has directed the state to maintain ‘status quo’ on the circular issued by it in February regarding the nurses’ uniform.
The Bombay high court has directed the state to maintain ‘status quo’ on the circular issued by it in February regarding the nurses’ uniform. The circular directed the nurses attached to the Medical Education and Drug Department to revert to the traditional uniform of white with a cap and belt instead of the camel-coloured salwar kameez that they have been wearing since 2005.
Issued on February 28, it is applicable to around 9,500 nurses working across the state and around 6,250 nurses working at hospitals attached to medical colleges. The circular further states that if the nurses don’t start wearing the traditional uniform, they won’t be allowed to mark their attendance.
A division bench of justice AM Khanwilkar and justice MR Bhatkar directed the state to maintain ‘status quo’ and file a reply on why it had decided to go back on one of its earlier circulars, which directed the nurses to wear the salwar-kameez.
The court’s order came during the hearing of a petition filed by Maharashtra Government of Nurses Federation, challenging the circular, claiming it to be arbitrary and illegal and seeking to set it aside and quash it. It states that the federation is an apex body of association of nurses located in every district of the state and has been registered since December 1975.
Advocate Meena Doshi appearing for the federation said, “The circular directing the nurses to wear traditional uniforms needs to be set aside. After hearing our arguments, the high court has directed the respondents to maintain status quo and file their replies.” The court has adjourned the hearing on the petition till April 27.
The petition states that as per a circular, which was later a government resolution, nurses were directed to wear salwar-kameez. The decision was challenged in the high court and, accordingly, the decision of the public health department was upheld by the court in 2004. Thus the nurses of the federation started wearing salwar-kameez.
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