Few hospitals care for male nurses

KOCHI: Ashiq from Ernakulam, who has a degree in nursing, is now a driver.  For him, driving is a better paid job than nursing to make ends meet. After  spending over Rs 4-5 lakh for studying nursing, Ashiq is one among the many male nurses who are now at the receiving end of the private hospitals. The reason: most of the hospitals refuse to recruit male nurses alleging them to be inciting agitations."My parents had taken a loan for my studies with the hope to repay it after  I get a job. But, no hospital wants a male nurse and even if I get a job, it is hard to survive with the salary,” he said.“There is difficulty in getting a job. I have four years of experience and  if I lose the present one, chances of me getting a new job are bleak,”  said Jaison, who works in a private hospital in the city.United Nurses Association president Jasmine Shah said: “Male nurses are being sidelined by hospitals in the state. The situation is same outside the state. There is a sharp decline in the number of male nursing students.  They are not in favour in foreign countries also.Kerala Nursing Council President Leena S said there were chances that male    nurses were not recruited. “It may be because they are organising the nurses and agitating against the hospital managements,” she said. Leena added that a trend among the private managements was not to take male tutors.KMOSC  College of Nursing principal Susamma Thomas agreed said there was a boom till 2005 for male nursing but the trend has reversed.