Kerala Government Standardises Nurse Shift Hours in All Private Hospitals

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government of Kerala has issued a directive standardising working hours for nursing and other staff in private hospitals, aligning them with the shift system prevalent in government-run facilities.

Under the new order issued by the State Labour Department, all private hospitals in Kerala, regardless of bed-capacity, will now follow a 6-6-12 hour shift system: two day shifts of six hours each, followed by one twelve-hour night shift. Beyond these hours, Staff will be eligible for overtime pay, with the ceiling set at 208 hours per month.

Previously, the 6-6-12 shift model applied only to private hospitals with more than 100 beds. With this new extension, smaller and mid-sized private hospitals are required to follow the same regime.

The update follows recommendations by the V. Veerakumar Committee (formed in November 2012 following a nurses’ strike), which had advised reforms to working conditions and duty hours for hospital nursing staff.

Key Highlights of the Directive:

• The 6-6-12 shift system is mandatory for all private hospital personnel, including nurses and ancillary staff.
• Overtime compensation must be provided for work beyond the scheduled shift, up to 208 hours per month.
• Uniformity is now achieved across private hospitals irrespective of size or bed-count.

Government Comment:

By extending this shift rule across the private health-care sector, the Government aims to ensure fairness in working hours and staff welfare, and strengthen parity between public and private health-care institutions. The move is expected to benefit nursing staff, improve roster management, and standardise service delivery.

Implications for Private Hospitals:

Private hospitals will need to revise scheduling, ensure compliance with the new shift structure, and update payroll systems to accommodate the overtime eligibility conditions. Administrators are encouraged to review workforce planning and patient-care coverage through the shift-cycle.

About the Directive:

This move is part of the Government’s broader efforts to reform labour practices in the health sector, especially vis-à-vis nursing duty-hours, staffing stability and quality of patient-care services.