33.41 lacs Nurses Registered in India, Govt tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: India at present has 1.96 nurses per 1,000 population, the Union Health ministry informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Responding to a question in the Upper House, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said as per Indian Nursing Council records, there are around 33.41 lakh registered nursing personnel, including 23,40,501 registered nurses and registered midwives, and 10,00,805 nurse associates (9,43,951 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives), and 56,854 lady health visitors in the country.

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''The nurse-population ratio in the country at present is 1.96 nurses per 1,000 population,'' Mandaviya said in a written response. There are 13,01,319 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission as of November 2021. The doctor-population ratio is 1:834 in the country assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors.

Further, the Government has taken the following steps to increase the nursing seats in the country:-

(i) For Nursing Educational Programmes Student patient ratio has been relaxed from 1:5 to 1:3

(ii) The land requirement for Nursing Educational Institutes from 3 acres has been relaxed to construct building of 54,000 sq. ft. for School/College of Nursing including Hostel.

(iii) To open GNM and B.Sc. (Nursing) programme 100 bedded parent hospital is essential since 2013-2014. However, this is relaxed for hilly and tribal areas.

(iv) Relaxed norms for teaching faculty to start B.Sc. (N) Programme.

 At least 2 M.Sc. (N) faculty to be available

 Qualification and Experience of the Nursing Teachers has been relaxed.

(v) Relaxation for opening M.Sc.(N) programme. Super speciality Hospital can start M.Sc. (N) without having under graduate programme.

 Relaxation of student teacher ratio for M.Sc.(N) programme has been relaxed from 1:5 to 1:10

(vi) Age of superannuation increased for Faculty in Nursing to 70 years

(vii) Maximum of 100 seats will be granted to the institutions for B.Sc.(N)/GNM programmes which are having parent hospital with 300 beds without insisting on Medical College.

(viii) Distance from school to hospital has been relaxed.

(ix) Eligibility Criteria for admission to nursing programmes relaxed:

a. Aggregate Marks for Diploma and Degree has been relaxed.

b. Candidates from recognized State Open School and National Institute of Open School (NIOS) are also eligible.

''Also, there are 2.89 lakh registered dentists and 13 lakh allied and healthcare professionals in the country,'' he said. Mandaviya further said the number of undergraduate seats has increased from 51,348 before 2014 to 89,875 as of date which is a hike of 75 percent.

The number of post-graduate seats has increased by 93 per cent from 31,185 before 2014 to 60,202, he added.

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