Ineligible Himachal institutes ‘given NOCs’ for training of nursing students

Bhanu P lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 29

The Himachal Pradesh Nursing institutions Association has accused the state authorities of giving no objection certificates (NOCs) to ineligible institutions for clinical training of nursing students in violation of norms.

Plaint to be forwarded to Nursing Council

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I have received the complaint, which will be forwarded to the Indian Nursing Council and the state authorities for further action. —Major Gen Atul Kaushik (retd), Chairman, HPPEIRC

In a complaint to the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission (HPPEIRC), office-bearers of the association have stated that as per the Indian Nursing Council (INC) criteria for giving the NOC to a hospital attached to a nursing college, the student-patient ratio should be 1:3 and the institution must have a minimum of 150 beds. However, the government has given NOCs to some hospitals with 30, 40 or 50 beds and even primary health centres have been counted for meeting the requirement of minimum 150 beds. After getting NOCs by manipulation, such hospitals manage to get permission for clinical training in institutions such as the IGMC, Kamla Nehru Hospital and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, which are already overburdened, the complaint states.

“In such a situation, how can quality education be imparted when the government has made a mockery of the system,” it says. The government has delayed admissions to nursing colleges by eight to 10 months and students may opt for nursing colleges outside the state, resulting in seats remaining vacant in Himachal.

Further, besides getting the fee structure approved by the government, the colleges have to pay the affiliation and recognition fee, which works out to be Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per year. Even during 2020-21 when occupancy was 20 per cent to 50 per cent, the colleges were forced to pay the charges, the complainant states.