Noting that there is a huge gap in nursing sector with just 1.7 nurses per thousand people, a FICCI report has called for revision of the nursing curriculum-still governed by the Indian Nursing Act framed in 1947 and revised in 1948-to make it relevant to the current health care industry requirements.
As per a FICCI-EY report ‘Nursing reforms: Paradigm shift for a bright future’ which was released on Wednesday noted that the country needs an additional 2.4 million nurses to meet the growing demand and it is expected to increase to increase further in the coming years.
The report said the nursing sector in India continues to experience challenges in terms of availability, distribution and retention, with the lack of a rewarding career progression, individual welfare, and income parity being cited as key reasons, amongst others.
At FICCI flagship annual healthcare conference - FICCI HEAl 2016, Vineet Chhatwal, Partner, EY India said, “The report has suggested 30 key recommendations to improve the sector. Nurses have a direct influence and role in determining the quality of care that is rendered to a patient. We need to make a concerted effort to ensure that this capability is recognised.”