Nongpoh, September 23, 2026: The Ri Bhoi Peoples Council (RBPC) on Wednesday called for the suspension of the Staff Nurse recruitment examination for 20 vacant posts at the MCH Hospital at Parila Umsning in Ri-Bhoi district, demanding that local candidates be given priority in employment opportunities.
RBPC leaders said the organisation had earlier appealed to the authorities to consider candidates from Ri-Bhoi for posts that could be filled by qualified local youth. The council raised the issue after learning that candidates from other districts had also been allowed to apply for the 20 Staff Nurse vacancies.
Before proceeding to the examination centre, RBPC leaders met the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) of Ri-Bhoi to convey their concerns. They later went to the examination venue and sought a halt to the examination.
The examination had reportedly been scheduled to begin, but candidates had not yet been allowed to enter the examination hall when the RBPC leaders arrived. Following the protest and demand for suspension, the DMHO’s office issued a notice postponing the examination for the day.
The development caused concern among candidates who had travelled to appear for the examination. Some candidates reportedly said they had spent money on transportation and food and had also set aside other work to attend the recruitment test.
RBPC central president Jason Lennox Nongrum said the organisation’s demand was not a new issue and that various groups had previously raised similar concerns over employment opportunities for local youth.
He said the council was not seeking to prevent people from other districts from working in Ri-Bhoi, but wanted qualified local candidates to be considered first for jobs that they were eligible to perform.
Nongrum also appealed to candidates from other districts to understand the concerns of the RBPC and said the organisation’s position should not be viewed as opposition to people from outside Ri-Bhoi working in the district.
According to the figures provided by the RBPC, 192 candidates from Ri-Bhoi and 231 candidates from other districts had applied for the 20 Staff Nurse posts at MCH Hospital, Parila Umsning.
The council is expected to continue pursuing the matter with the authorities.
