Delhi's Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (GIPMER) has withdrawn its circular directing nursing staff to communicate only in Hindi/English, disallowing use of Malayalam language, news agency ANI reported, stating that the hospital administration claimed the circular was issued without their information.
The state government hospital had issued a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work as "maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language" which it said causes a lot of inconvenience. The move had drawn flak, with Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor coming out against it.
The circular issued by the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), one of the leading facilities here, has asked its nurses to use only Hindi and English for communication or face "strict action".
G.B. Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani claimed it was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".
The circular says: "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patient and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience .So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken."
