India stands at 1.7 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, WHO norm is 3 nurses per 1,000: Associations

By IANS

NEW DELHI: At a latest nationwide assembly on the first-year completion of the #NurseMidwife4Change marketing campaign, the marketing campaign companions, Indian Nursing Council (INC), All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF), The Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), Society of Midwives-India (SOMI) and Jhpiego, got here collectively to debate the problems affecting the nurse and midwifery career and the progress made to this point.

The specialists acknowledged the nurses’ and midwives’ function and contribution to India’s well being care system. The esteemed members deliberated the necessity to additional uplift the standing of nurses and strengthen the cadre of Nurse midwives in India.

The talks highlighted a few of these important concerns, funding in training, staffing of nurse midwives, nursing management, nurse-patient ratio, workload, lengthy working hours, double shifts, and others.

The specialists additionally mentioned the necessity to prioritize investments to additional strengthen this cadre and place nurse midwives as leaders, educators, and collaborators. The new pointers by the federal government of India are being seen as a transfer within the optimistic path by nursing organisations.

Today, India stands at 1.7 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, versus the World Health Organization (WHO) norm of three nurses per 1,000. The poor nurse-patient ratio is resulting in elevated workload, lengthy working hours, double shifts and others resulting in low high quality of remedy.

This difficulty have to be resolved to construct a sturdy well being workforce within the nation. Presently, coverage priorities focused at strengthening the nursing sector in India have primarily centered on rising the variety of nurses within the well being care system.

To set the tone for systemic coverage reforms, the panelists mentioned the coverage priorities towards constructing a well being workforce for the longer term geared toward attaining common well being protection. A much-needed illustration of the nursing workforce in management roles is required throughout India, which additionally contains establishing nursing directorates throughout all states to make sure higher governance and policymaking. This will assist in the evolution of the nursing workforce as an unbiased skilled physique and construct a high quality workforce of nurse professionals.

The WHO’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021-2025 lays down coverage priorities that may allow nations to make sure that their midwives and nurses optimally contribute to attaining common well being protection and different health-related targets.

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T. Dileep Kumar, President- Indian Nursing Council, mentioned: “Nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare industry, and their importance cannot be undermined. Over the last two decades, India has made significant progress in plugging the gaps in overall availability of nurses. Due to several concrete efforts by the Government of India, the country witnessed a doubling of nursing workforce – from 0.8 nurses per 1000 population in 2000 to 1.7 in 2020. However, this number is still less than the WHO norm of 3 nurses per 1000 population, creating a need for systemic reforms. Through #NurseMidwife4Change, we have been able to initiate a conversation around the issues faced by our nurses and midwives and are hopeful of a measurable impact in the coming months.”

Prof (Dr) Roy Ok George, President-Trained Nurses Association of India, mentioned, “The #NurseMidwife4Change campaign has been successful in mobilizing voices to support and uplift the nursing profession. As representatives of different nursing bodies, we are grateful to the Government for introducing draft guidelines to improve the working conditions of nurses and acknowledging their hard work in creating a Healthy India. We are committed to supporting government’s efforts in this direction.”

NEW DELHI: At a latest nationwide assembly on the first-year completion of the #NurseMidwife4Change marketing campaign, the marketing campaign companions, Indian Nursing Council (INC), All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF), The Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), Society of Midwives-India (SOMI) and Jhpiego, got here collectively to debate the problems affecting the nurse and midwifery career and the progress made to this point.

The specialists acknowledged the nurses’ and midwives’ function and contribution to India’s well being care system. The esteemed members deliberated the necessity to additional uplift the standing of nurses and strengthen the cadre of Nurse midwives in India.

The talks highlighted a few of these important concerns, funding in training, staffing of nurse midwives, nursing management, nurse-patient ratio, workload, lengthy working hours, double shifts, and others.

The specialists additionally mentioned the necessity to prioritize investments to additional strengthen this cadre and place nurse midwives as leaders, educators, and collaborators. The new pointers by the federal government of India are being seen as a transfer within the optimistic path by nursing organisations.

Today, India stands at 1.7 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, versus the World Health Organization (WHO) norm of three nurses per 1,000. The poor nurse-patient ratio is resulting in elevated workload, lengthy working hours, double shifts and others resulting in low high quality of remedy.

This difficulty have to be resolved to construct a sturdy well being workforce within the nation. Presently, coverage priorities focused at strengthening the nursing sector in India have primarily centered on rising the variety of nurses within the well being care system.

To set the tone for systemic coverage reforms, the panelists mentioned the coverage priorities towards constructing a well being workforce for the longer term geared toward attaining common well being protection. A much-needed illustration of the nursing workforce in management roles is required throughout India, which additionally contains establishing nursing directorates throughout all states to make sure higher governance and policymaking. This will assist in the evolution of the nursing workforce as an unbiased skilled physique and construct a high quality workforce of nurse professionals.

The WHO’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021-2025 lays down coverage priorities that may allow nations to make sure that their midwives and nurses optimally contribute to attaining common well being protection and different health-related targets.

ALSO READ | Salaries due, dwelling nurses blame businesses for apathy

T. Dileep Kumar, President- Indian Nursing Council, mentioned: “Nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare industry, and their importance cannot be undermined. Over the last two decades, India has made significant progress in plugging the gaps in overall availability of nurses. Due to several concrete efforts by the Government of India, the country witnessed a doubling of nursing workforce – from 0.8 nurses per 1000 population in 2000 to 1.7 in 2020. However, this number is still less than the WHO norm of 3 nurses per 1000 population, creating a need for systemic reforms. Through #NurseMidwife4Change, we have been able to initiate a conversation around the issues faced by our nurses and midwives and are hopeful of a measurable impact in the coming months.”

Prof (Dr) Roy Ok George, President-Trained Nurses Association of India, mentioned, “The #NurseMidwife4Change campaign has been successful in mobilizing voices to support and uplift the nursing profession. As representatives of different nursing bodies, we are grateful to the Government for introducing draft guidelines to improve the working conditions of nurses and acknowledging their hard work in creating a Healthy India. We are committed to supporting government’s efforts in this direction.”