The Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-II, headed by former Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, has recommended that the state government start nursing colleges with 20 nursing seats for General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) or BSc nursing courses, and paramedical courses with 10 paramedical seats at the 100-bed taluk government hospitals, in a bid to bridge the demand gap for nurses.

The panel report points out that as an interim measure, BSc Nursing and MSc Nursing staff working in taluk hospitals can be deputed to the college to work as faculty while continuing to work in the hospital. This will enable taluk hospitals to improve patient care with the help of trainee and interning nursing students and also provide additional nursing seats and jobs for rural students, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

It also pointed out that a few states have set up Nursing Directorates to strengthen the contribution of nursing and midwifery to healthcare, as a profession and for formulating equitable and fair policies.

“The involvement of nurse midwives in policy/decision-making levels would help reduce policy-practice gaps in the healthcare system and contribute to achieving an accelerated reduction of MMR and IMR. The Union Health and Family Welfare ministry, too, recommended the formation of Nursing Directorates in states in 2017. A Nursing Directorate in the state can be established and a post of Joint Director Nursing can be created,” it recommends.

The panel also recommended a special Nurses Human Resource Management System, a technology-based platform for maintaining a live nurse and midwives’ register, by the health and medical education departments.