Nurses recruited through Tamil Nadu’s Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) protested for the fifth day on Monday, demanding permanent jobs. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said 723 new permanent nurse posts could be made immediately. He promised appointment orders for these posts would be issued before Pongal. The nurses, part of the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association, want more negotiation with the government. About 8,000 nurses hired on a contract and paid consolidated salaries have been pushing for regularisation for years. Minister Subramanian explained the nurses got ₹14,000 salary when DMK came to power. They were hired as contract staff in 2014-15 under then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. They were told to work two years and then get permanent posts by seniority, but he called this a wrong policy. He added the DMK government raised their pay to ₹18,000 during COVID-19. Since 2021, 3,614 nurses have been made permanent, filling vacancies and 1,200 new posts at 11 new medical colleges. Currently, 169 vacancies exist, and orders are being prepared. The government will also fill 266 nurse superintendent and 140 nursing tutor posts. With 37 new critical care blocks under construction, 148 related posts will be created. “We have told them 723 new posts can be created and orders issued based on seniority before Pongal,” said Subramanian. Maternity benefits like regular nurses get are under consideration. The plan is to hire the remaining 7,400 nurses in phases, including in new district hospitals. However, N. Subin, the nurses’ association general secretary, said the posts mentioned are just backlog and promotions, not new positions. He confirmed protests will continue across Tamil Nadu. Separately, 724 nurses deployed during COVID-19 without proper communal rotation will be given consolidated pay jobs after correction, the Minister said.