Army Nurses Rank, Status and Honour Degraded?

Army nurses not at par with officers’ by Vijay Mohan/ TNS
Chandigarh, May 12, 2011
Holding that the Military Nursing Service (MNS) is an auxiliary force, the Armed Forces Tribunal has ruled that MNS officers cannot be granted parity with Army officers.

Disposing of a bunch of petitions filed by MNS officers seeking a higher pay-band and associated benefits at par with Army officers of equivalent rank, the Tribunal observed that the recruitment process and nature of duties of the MNS and Army officers is different and simply because the MNS officers are being granted ranks and perks admissible to combatant soldiers and officers, the position of MNS officers cannot be elevated to that of regular troops.

The MNS officers contended that making a distinction on the basis of being a combat and non-combat force and thereby placing them in a lower pay-band was discriminatory. They also contended that some other branches like education, postal and JAG were also non-combatant, but were granted higher scales. Observing that it was clear from the Army ordinance that the MNS was an auxiliary force and not the main combat force, the Tribunal ruled that the difference between the two is right from the induction into service and this distinction has been kept in view by the government while fixing their pay-band.

Ruling that it was a “total misnomer” to say that the nursing staff are same in status as the regular combat force, the Tribunal also observed that there would be functional and command difficulties in hospitals. Nurses have to work under the directions of doctors and have to follow their command. Directions given by doctors to persons of the same rank and status may cause difficulty in functioning.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110513/nation.htm#8
Army nurses not at par with officers’
Vijay Mohan/ TNS
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Degradation of Rank and Honour- In footsteps of AV Singh Committee
A military nurse holds rank in his or her respective service the same as other officers. A brand new nurse is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Nursing Service corps they are commissioned in. They work up through the ranks by completing career milestones and through a competitive process called a promotion board. Nurses have a long and remarkable history of serving and aiding the military from the Wars of early history to modern day conflicts. Nurses have served bravely and with great personal sacrifice in and out of uniform. Nursing has contributed to significant strides in improving medical care in the military and in civilian practice. Nurses participate in research, advanced medical care, and technology. But, the thing nurses are best known for is their caring compassionate expertise in treating sick and wounded military personnel.