Editor,

For many of us who pursued nursing as a profession, the dream was never merely about securing government jobs. It was about serving humanity, caring for the sick, and contributing to the healthcare system of our state. We spent years studying, training and preparing ourselves for a profession that demands dedication, compassion, and competence. Yet today, thousands of qualified nurses in Arunachal Pradesh remain unemployed, waiting endlessly for an opportunity to serve.

The Government of Arunachal Pradesh deserves appreciation for filling vacancies in various departments through transparent and merit based examination through APPSC and APSSB. However, the same cannot be said for the recruitment of Nursing Officers and staff nurses, where regular examinations have remained absent for years. The absence of a uniform recruitment mechanism and present system of recruitment of nurses at the district level without any SOP and proper mechanism on contractual basis under NHM and other programmes have given rise to perception of favoritism, nepotism and corruption, leaving many deserving and qualified candidates feeling deprived of a fair chance to compete on merit.

We are encouraged by the inclusion of the Nursing Officer Examination in the APPSC Examination Calendar 2026 and sincerely hope that the examination will be conducted as scheduled and fill all vacancies through APPSC only.

Our demand is simple: Conduct regular recruitment exams of Nursing Officers through APPSC to ensure transparency, and give qualified nurses an equal opportunity to serve the people of Arunachal Pradesh. We have waited patiently for years and hope that this time our voice will be heard.

An unemployed nurse