Though there is a demand for nurses in the health sector in India, nursing colleges here are facing a paucity of students due to several factors, including a fall in the demand for nurses in the Middle East and the United States of America.
Nursing courses which are currently providing job opportunities to thousands of young women particularly from poor families are now facing difficulties in attracting students to their courses. This is primarily because of a decrease in job opportunities abroad and lesser salaries paid to them here.
There is a demand in India, however, for nurses who are well trained with good practical knowledge and skills. But most of the students who do the nursing courses lack these skills and the exposure to practical knowledge. According to the Indian Nursing Council, a nursing college should have its own hospital with 200 beds to impart practical training to students during their course. Dr. K. Ramu, Principal of Shridevi College of Nursing, Tumkur, said, “most of the nursing colleges lack infrastructure including the 200 bedded hospital and good faculty. Hence the students who finish the course in such colleges fail to get a job due to the lack of practical knowledge.” Dr. G. Shivaprasad, Director of Sri Siddhartha College of Nursing, Tumkur, also agreed that the students are bound to suffer because of the lack of infrastructure in colleges.
Unfortunately, in the past five years, more than 100 nursing colleges have closed in the state due to a lack of strength. The rules specify that colleges should have a minimum of 20 students.
The admission in nursing colleges in the state has also decreased by 40 percent. However, those colleges which have their own hospitals manage to get full strength.
Due to a decrease in job opportunities in the Middle East and USA, the number of students coming from Kerala to Karnataka for nursing courses has decreased by 80 percent. Countries in the Middle East have reduced the appointment of Indian nurses by around 70 percent due to the lack of practical skills and knowledge of the Indian candidates. As a result, students going to nursing courses have decreased. Dr. Ramu said that after Barack Obama became the President of USA, he laid stress on the appointment of American nurses over foreign nurses, especially those coming from India and Phillipines. Hence, the job opportunities for Indian nurses decreased in USA as well. Dr. Shivaprasad alleged that the state government of Karnataka has appointed only around 300 nurses in the past 15 years though there is a scarcity of nurses in the government hospitals.
The nurses working in the districts are paid between Rs.5,000 and Rs.7,000 for 8-10 hours of work without any other allowances. The salary in corporate hospitals in big cities is between Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000 for beginners.
Harini. P, a General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course student said, “as I come from a poor family, I need a job to support my family as soon as I finish the course. This is why I have taken this course.” Aparna. S.M., a B.Sc nursing student and a native of Calicut said, “as we have to pay donation apart from the higher fees in Kerala, I have come to Karnataka for the course.” Pavithra. K.H, a GNM course student said that though the salary is less, she is happy that at least, they will get a job in a government or a private hospital.
Dr. Shivaprasad urged the state government to appoint at least 500 nurses per year. He also added that the nursing sector could be revived and strengthened by introducing ‘Practising nursing system’, which is prevalent in the United Kingdom. In this system, a nurse, after undergoing the nursing course, has to practise under a registered medical practitioner for five years for which she is paid. She will be given the licence to practise after the completion of her training under the medical practitioner. He said this system will help India to provide health care to rural masses at a lesser cost and also give job opportunities to those who aspire to work in the health sector.
