Would letting married women join nursing courses help overcome nurses’ shortage?
Dear Mr.BULL Yes, you are absolutely right Sir. NEW DELHI: An abysmally shameful ratio of one nurse for every 1,100 people in India has finally made the health ministry sit up. With the country facing an acute shortage of trained nurses, the ministry has now decided to let married women get admission to nursing courses. Nursing Council director T Dileep Kumar has shot off a letter to all states directing them to allow married women to take admission in nursing colleges. India has 2,000 nursing diploma schools, 1,200 nursing degree schools and 281 MSc nursing colleges. Annually, the country produces around 60,000 nurses. “But majority of them work in the private sector. At present, we have a gap of 3.5 lakh nurses,” Kumar told TOI. Officials say one reason why India is facing an acute shortage of trained nurses is the mass exodus of qualified nurses to Europe for better pay. “By the end of the 11th plan (2007-2012), India will require 10.43 lakh nurses. But with the existing infrastruct
