Service structure: ‘3,382 nurses given contracts’

Rafique said the government was taking steps to improve clinical training of nurses as well as their capacity-building

LAHORE:

“The government has given contracts to 3,382 nurses who had been working on ad-hoc basis and the summary for regularisation of service of 825 nurses has been sent for approval,” said Nursing Director General Rukhsana Kamal on Monday.

She said 4,207 nurses were working on contract and 11,572 nurses were working on a regular basis. She was addressing a meeting chaired by Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique.

Rafique said strengthening the nursing sector was essential for a better healthcare system. He said attention had not been paid to developing the nursing sector in the last 60 years. He said under the direction of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the government was taking steps to improve the service structure and provide incentives to the nurses. Kamal said the ratio of nurses per bed at hospitals was not up to international standards and there was a need to enhance the number of nurses. She said a number of seats for nurses were vacant.

Rafique said there was a need to introduce amendments in the nursing syllabus.

He said the government was taking steps to improve clinical training of nurses as well as their capacity-building.

He said they would be provided higher education and PhD opportunities. He said vacant posts of nurses would be filled and new jobs for nurses created to provide better health facilities to the public.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2014.