Lok Sabha Question No. 2905 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-02
Subject: Shortage of Nurses
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: P. KARUNAKARAN, JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2905 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND DECEMBER, 2016

## SHORTAGE OF NURSES

## 2905. SHRI P. KARUNAKARAN: SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the total number of nursing students passing out every year along with nurse patient ratio in the country;

(b) whether the Government is aware that there is a severe shortage of nurses in the country, if so,  the  details  thereof  and the  reasons  there for  along  with  the  concrete steps  taken  by  the Government to tackle the situation;

(c)  whether  nursing  students  are  facing employment  crisis  due  to  mushrooming  of private nursing coll eges in the country, if so, the details thereof along with corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard;

(d) whether the Indian Nursing Council proposes to monitor the quality of colleges/nurses to reduce the unemployment rate; and

(e) if so, the response of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a): There are around 8000 Nursing Institutes in the country producing about 3 lakh nur personnel  annually.  The  nurse - patient  ratio  varies  from  state  to  state,  district  to  distri institution to institution.
- (b) : As per INC records, there are around 26 lakh nursing personnel registered in the country as on 31 - 12- 2014. Assuming 60% availability in the case of RN&RM and 80% availability in th case  of  ANM/LHV,  it  is  estimated  that  around  17.1  lakh  nursing  personnel  may  be  actua available for active s ervices, which gives a Nurse - Population ratio of about 1:748 (Population taken as 128 Crores).

(c): Health being a State subject, the matter pertaining to employment of nurses, improving and regulating the service conditions of the nurses working in publi c as well as private hospitals in the country comes under the p urview of the State Governments.

nursing

(d) & (e): Indian Nursing Council is conducting yearly, periodical and surprise inspect to monitor the quality of nursing colleges. In addition to that, Indi n Nursing Council has taken many pro - active steps to improve the quality of nursing education such as:

- i.Student patient ratio has been changedfrom 1:5 to 1:3 .
- ii.The  land  from  5  acres  has  been  relaxed  to  construct  building  of  54,000  sq.  ft School/College of Nursing and Hostel.
- iii. Conducting Capacity building training of teachers of pre - service education.
- iv.Relaxingnorms for teaching faculty to start B.Sc. (N) Programme.
- At least 2 M.Sc. (N) faculty to be available
- Qualification and Experience of the Nursing Teachers has been relaxed.
- Sharing of teaching faculty for both Diploma and Graduate Programme.
- v. Relaxation for opening M.Sc. (N) programme:
- Super  speciality  Hospital  can  start  M.Sc.(N)  without  having  under  gradua programme.
- Student teach er ratio for M.Sc (N) programme has been relaxed from 1:5 to 1:10
- vi. Age increased for Teaching Faculty up to 70 years .