The Nursing University Student’s Union (NUSU) got most of what they had demanded from the government after negotiating with the Ministry of Health and Sports last week.

NUSU member Ma Kay Khine Tun said 80 percent of what they wanted was agreed by the ministry following their meeting to discuss problems faced by nurses and midwives with Minister U Myint Htwe on March 17.

“We got 80pc of our requests. We are satisfied,” she said at the University of Nursing in Yangon on March 17.

On March 15, about 500 students from the University of Nursing (Yangon) and Yangon Institue of Nursing protested against the Department of Medical Service’s February 1 notice letter sent to private healthcare centres prohibiting them from hiring unlicensed nurses who did not complete the required three-year service at government hospitals.

During the protest, it was reported that university authorities had contacted the parents of first-year students and that the ministry was planning to take action against the person who led the demonstration.

But the group fighting for the nurses and midwives said in a statement on March 17 that the Myanmar Nurse and Midwife Council (MNMC), which regulates nursing and midwifery, would hold the licenses of nurses serving the government; meanwhile, nurses would follow the civil service period requirement set by the government to obtain their licenses, and that the ministry would not take action against students who took part in the protest last week.

Dr Thar Htun Kyaw, a leader in the group that represented nurses and midwives, said there was agreement between NUSU and the ministry during the Friday meeting.

Any issues in future would be negotiated internally, like a family, he said.

“The students said they held a press conference to highlight their requests, but the department officials had no idea.
“There was communication gap before, so we only knew after the protest,” Dr Thar Htun Kyaw said.

NUSU sent out statements on February 27 and March 6 to the ministry, the MNMCl and relevant associations.

They held a press conference on March 10 and demanded the authorities responded to their requests by March 15.