In a move aimed at strengthening the country’s nursing workforce, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), on Wednesday approved setting up of 157 new nursing colleges in co-location with the existing medical colleges established since 2014. The government will spend ₹1,570 crore on the initiative.

"Today a decision has been taken to open 157 new government medical nursing colleges in the country. ₹1,570 crore has been approved for this and it will be completed in the next twenty four months," said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya briefing media on the Cabinet decisions.

"This will further ensure quality, affordable, and equitable nursing education in India, particularly in underserved districts and states/union territories," the government said in a release.

"The initiative aims to address the geographical and rural-urban imbalances in the healthcare sector, which have led to the skewed availability of nursing professionals and impacted healthcare services in underserved areas. The establishment of these nursing colleges will provide a significant boost to the availability of qualified human resources in healthcare. This is also being done as a part of the national mandate for Universal Health Care (UHC) and will help in attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Reforms in regulatory structure for nursing education to meet with the emerging requirements in the sector are also under consideration,” the release added.

Co-location with existing medical colleges will allow optimal utilization of the existing infrastructure, skill labs, clinical facilities, and faculty. Use of green technologies will also be explored in these nursing colleges and will be adopted as per relevancy to ensure energy efficiency and reduction in carbon footprint, the government said.

In order to stick to the timeline of two years decided by the government, the Empowered Committee headed by the Union Health Secretary in the Centre and Principal Secretary, Health/Medical Education in the States will monitor the progress of the work. "The state government/UTs will intimate to the ministry of health and family welfare on a regular basis, the physical progress of the works being done for the establishment of new nursing colleges under the scheme," the government release said.

The government has been focusing on ensuring quality healthcare workforce with substantial increase in their numbers. The government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats in the last few years. There is a substantial increase of around 71% in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 660 as of now.

Nursing Colleges

CCEA approves ₹1,570 crore for 157 new nursing colleges