The Supreme Court, on May 07, forwarded notifications to the Centre and all state administrations on a PIL stating that nurses were being exploited by private hospitals that withheld their credentials and forced them to enter bond for employment.

A bench including Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar sought the response on the appeal lodged by the Indian Professional Nurses Association (IPNA) and others looking for path to frame rules for private hospitals.

Appearing for the IPNA, advocate Deepak Prakash put forward that there was no rule for the appointment of nurses in medical institutions that hassle them.

The appeal alleged, “It is a usual practice in the hospitals especially in private hospitals that at the time of appointment of staff nurses, their original certificates are retained by the authorities and compel them to deposit huge amount for releasing certificates at the time of leaving the organisation which is illegal and in violation of Article 23 of the Constitution of India.”

The Indian Professional Nurses Association (IPNA), in its petition, cited a 22-year-old nurse, who killed herself after she was allegedly annoyed by hospital functionaries, among others.