5 new medical colleges to get 675 posts of nurses: Greater Kashmir had carried a story on gross shortage of nursing staff

In a major development, State Administrative Council (SAC) last week approved creation of 675 posts of nurses in five upcoming medical colleges at Anantnag, Baramulla, Kathua, Doda and Rajouri. In 2017, when 3375 posts were created for the five new colleges, which included, faculty, doctors, paramedics, technicians and administrative staff, only 14 posts of nurses were created by the Government for each college. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has set minimum requirement of nurses as 175 for each medical college with an intake capacity of 100 students. The Governor led SAC on January 4 accorded sanction for creation of 675 posts of nursing staff. These posts, a health official said, would be filled “expeditiously” in order to pave way for MCI nod to start first batch of MBBS students. Greater Kashmir had carried a story on gross shortage of nursing staff. In order to get a letter of permission (LoP) from MCI for starting fresh batch of MBBS, these positions need to be filled in next couple of months, a senior official of health department said. An official spokesperson of the Government said that once the requirements of MCI are fulfilled, the health and medical education department shall approach the MCI for final inspection of these five new medical colleges and issuance of LoP to start the MBBS course in these medical colleges. Commissioner secretary health and medical education, Atal Dulloo had told Greater Kashmir that there was “some mistake” in the creation of nurses posts. “That would be amended soon,” he had said while adding that the state government was mulling to hire nurses on academic arrangement “immediately” to seek approval from MCI immediately.