Nursing council affiliates just two local schools

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 31

After the alleged reports poured in about a number of nursing institutions functioning merely on the recognition obtained from the state nursing councils, the Indian Nursing Council (INC) has now tightened the noose by giving permission to just two nursing schools in Jammu to admit students for the academic year 2017-18.

Sources claimed that the students of the state who qualified from these institutions were not recognisedby the INC and it did not entitle them to register themselves as nurses/midwives outside J&K. They added that the council gave permission to only two private nursing schools in Jammu to admit students for auxiliary nurse midwifery (ANM) course for 2017-18.

Last year, nine private nursing schools in Jammu were given permission to admit students. Sources claimed that in 2016-17, proposals regarding first inspection of three institutes of Jammu division were rejected by the INC. Of the three institutes, two were from Jammu while third one was in Kathua district.

“All students aspiring to pursue a course in nursing and intend to practice in any part of the country should first ensure that the particular institution which they intend to join has been recognised/approved by the INC,” a statement said.

“There is no denying the fact that many paramedical institutes in J&K lack infrastructural facilities and the students which are admitted to pursue various ANM/GNM courses are completely ignorant whether the institutes they have joined are recognised with the INC.”

“Even though most of them managed to get jobs in hospitals/clinics within J&K, but those who applied outside the state were not eligible for jobs because the qualification is not recognised by the INC,” an official claimed.

“There are around 70 paramedical institutes in J&K which includes 40 in Jammu region while remaining in Kashmir division,” the official added.