Delhi govt hospital bars Malayalam at work, asks nurses to use ‘only Hindi and English’

New Delhi: A Delhi government hospital has drawn ire after it asked its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work and converse only in Hindi and English. 

As per ANI, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) issued a circular directing its nursing staff to use only Hindi and English for communication or face 'strict action'. Further, they asked them to refrain from using Malayalam saying 'maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language' which it said causes a lot of 'inconvenience'. 

The circular read, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience".

Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Delhi directs all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi&English for communication, warns of serious action if not done. It had received complaint against the use of Malayalam language in the institute pic.twitter.com/jQqCpqjOrn — ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2021

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken,” it added. 

Expressing displeasure at the circular, G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI that the complaint was registered 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".

Ramchandani, also the secretary general of Delhi Nurses Federation, asserted,  "As a language's name, Malayalam, has been inserted in the circular, many will take offence". He claimed the contentious circular was "consequent of the complaint filed by the patient" and "internally, there is no issue among the nurses and the administration".

Other nursing unions have also raised objections to the circular, the report added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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