Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved 157 new nursing colleges for 24 states and 3 union territories. Ministry of Health data reveals that 40% of districts in India lack any nursing colleges. Moreover, five States in the south have 42% of the country’s nursing institutions, while three States in the west have 17%.
Main point
- India currently has close to 35 lakh nurses, but its nurse to population ratio is only 2.06:1000 against a global benchmark of 3:1000.
- There has been a 36% growth in the number of institutions offering undergraduate nursing education since 2014-15, resulting in a 40% growth in nursing seats.
- But About 64% of the nursing workforce is currently trained in just eight States.
- 42% of nursing institutions are concentrated in five southern States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
- 17% are in the western States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
- Only 2% of nursing colleges are in the northeastern State.
- The growth of nursing colleges also lags far behind the 81% growth rate of medical colleges, with the number of undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats surging at 110% and 114%, respectively, since 2014-15.
Global Statistics
- According to the WHO, approximately 27 million men and women make up the global nursing and midwifery workforce, accounting for nearly 50% of the global health workforce.
- There is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50% of the current shortage of health workers.
- The largest shortages of nurses and midwives are in Southeast Asia and Africa.
Reason Behind the Shortage of Colleges
- Minimal health budget: India’s expenditure on the health sector has risen meagerly from 1.2% of the GDP in 2013-14 to 1.35% in 2017-18. The National Health Policy 2017 had aimed for this to be 2.5% of GDP.
- Inadequate Infrastructure: Massive shortages in the supply of services (human resources, hospitals and diagnostic centers in the private/public sector) which are made worse by grossly inequitable availability between and within States. For example, even a well-placed State such as Tamil Nadu has an over 30% shortage of medical and non-medical professionals in government facilities.
- Workload and Staffing Issues: Nurses in India often faced heavy workloads, long working hours, and staff shortages. This situation not only affected patient care but also resulted in burnout and job dissatisfaction among nurses.
- Low Compensation and Job Insecurity: Nurses were typically paid lower salaries compared to other healthcare professionals, despite the demanding nature of their work.
- Gender Norms and Social Stigma: Nursing has traditionally been seen as a female-dominated profession in India, which has perpetuated certain gender norms and social stigmas.
- Rural-Urban Disparities: The nursing infrastructure in rural areas lagged that of urban centers. Rural healthcare facilities often faced more challenges in attracting and retaining skilled nursing staff.