Shortage of Trained Nurses and Midwives

New Delhi December 18, 2013: There is a shortage of trained nurses and midwives in the country. As per Planning Commission’s National Taskforce Report there would be a gap of 9.55 lakhs nurses by 2012 of which 2 to 3 lakhs would be in the Government facilities alone.  The nurse-patient ratio varies from state to state, district to district and institution to institution.  Further, the ratio varies to meet the needs of different units and shifts according to acuity of care, size and location.

The number of nursing diploma schools, nursing degree schools and nursing colleges in the country indicating the number of seats therein, State/Union Territory-wise is as below-

A number of steps are proposed by Government to open more such educational institutions to impart nursing training across the country. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Strengthening/upgradation of Nursing Services the Government has released funds for opening of Auxillary Nurse Midwife (ANM)/General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) Institutes in various states. Opening of Institutes under the said scheme depends on proposals received from the States as per the scheme guidelines.

This was stated by Sh Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.