KARACHI:
Nursing students in Quetta are facing serious problems because of a lack of scholarships and financial support. Nursing is already a tough profession that requires long study duty hours and hard work in hospitals, but students have to suffer more due to financial problems. Most nursing students in Quetta belong to poor and middle-class families who cannot afford college fees, hostel charges, books and uniforms.
Although the government and some NGOs announce scholarships, the number is extremely limited, and most students never find out about them in time. The application process is also very slow and complicated and marred by favouritism. Because of this, many talented students are forced to quit their studies halfway through or take heavy loans.
This issue directly affects the healthcare system of Balochistan, where hospitals are already suffering from a severe shortage of nurses and other medical staff. If the provincial government and health department do not increase the number of scholarships, make the process easy and transparent, and provide financial support on merit, the nursing sector in Quetta will keep struggling.
Supporting nursing students with scholarships is not just helping individuals; it is the only way to improve healthcare services for the people of Balochistan.
Haram Asghar
Quetta
