One of the important constituents of the therapeutic treatment in various health institutions is the role played by qualified nurses and the care taken of the patients by them to ultimately result in their complete recovery from various health problems . In fact, the role of nurses and midwives is tremendous in our rural and far flung areas where their services are paramount in midwifery services rendered by them which otherwise traditionally had been handled by untrained village midwives often leading to post natal complications . The utility and importance of their role has dulybeen recognised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in various ways . If we refer to the starting of a nursing and midwifery portal by it , it will be known as to how this on-line facility connects nurses, midwives state nursing schools, Indian Nursing Council with different stakeholders and provides all relevant information about them to all concerned in the country. The scope and the horizon of the activities and services expected to be rendered by nurses etc in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir is continuously increasing though their staff strength , more or so, remains not commensurate with the volume of work handled by them.
It may be recalled that Centre has sanctioned seven additional Medical Colleges in J &K out of which as many as four are already functional and likely to be followed suit by the one at Doda. To keep this mission further going, the need had been felt to bring in some innovative changes in the entire structure of Nursing Education in J&K both in the quality of training and education as well as ensuring a better spread of educational institutions across the UT imparting such education. The aim being not only having sufficient nursing and midwifery staff in Jammu and Kashmir but to be one among the top states and the UTs in the country in this respect.
It is heartening to note that in order to augment and elevate nursing education, it has been decided to up-grade five Nursing Schools of the Union Territory into Nursing Colleges. In this respect, various proposals backed by Detailed Project Reports were submitted by the Health and Medical Education Department to Union Ministry which has given approval for up-grading of the Nursing Schools at Akhnoor in Jammu, Kulgam , Shopian, Budgam and Kulgam all in Kashmir . Not only that, even the first instalment of Rs.3.75 crore too is sanctioned and released by the Union Ministry. Now, it is to be seen how best and fast, the money sanctioned under Development of Nursing Services Plan 2019-20 is utilised by the UT administration.
The question as to why only one Nursing School of Jammu is up-graded as against four in Kashmir, we have learnt that elevating the remaining four Nursing Schools at Kathua , Rajouri, Doda and Udhampur respectively into Nursing Colleges is under active consideration of the Union Ministry. What is required now is erection of the requisite infrastructure and posting of faculty members so that a number of 60 students of BSc Nursing is admitted in each College every year. Obviously, there are host of formalities to be completed which, along with building up of infrastructure, should be undertaken side by side like seeking affiliation with the concerned Universities , inspections and other procedures so that the batches of students for admission take place at the earliest. We are confident that such moves which Jammu and Kashmir never saw up to 2014 and now as a UT, Medical and Nursing education in the state shall get unprecedentedly a big boost.
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