Srinagar, Oct 26 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with a severe dearth of nurses in government hospitals even as the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India has released 75.74 Crore for strengthening of nursing services of the state.
Sources in the health department revealed to KNS that the shortage can be ascertained from the fact that one nurse is left to take care of around 40 patients in various city government hospitals.
The top officials of the health department insisting not to be named said that the worst affected are major city hospitals and District hospitals where a huge number of people seek care and where the shortage of nurses can affect the daily activities right from the running of outpatient clinics to theatre services and inpatient care in wards.
“Government's failure to recruit enough nurses at hospitals for the past three years is not only affecting patient care at these hospitals but is also leading many graduate students to leave the state in search of career options elsewhere in the country and even overseas,” they said.
The authorities in various hospitals admitted that the nursing staff is working even without the weekly holiday that they are due for. “I can tell you that nurses are under a huge burden so they could not guarantee safe care for the patients,” one of the senior doctors in the SMHS hospital said.
The doctor added that nurses in the government hospitals are really exhausted at the end of their shift.
The experts also believe that a lack of nurses was linked to hundreds of deaths in the state. “There should be at least one nurse for every eight patients and one for every four if dedicated care is required,” one of the senior retired doctor said.
He said that the shortage of nurses is impacting on patient care and leaving important tasks undone.
When contacted the government authorities though they admitted that there is shortage of the nursing staff in the hospitals but said that steps are under way to meet the problem. “Yes it is true that we are short of nurses in the hospitals but to mitigate the shortage of para-medical staff including nurses, the intake capacity of AMT, ANMT schools have been increased from 1478 to 3378,” wishing anonymity one of the top officials of the health department said.
He said that besides strengthening of nursing services, 21 ANM/GNM schools are being established for which funds to the tune of Rs, 75.74 crore were released by the government of India.
He also said that the government has projected need to establish 10 nursing colleged in the Jammu as well as Kashmir for which 30.00 crore have been projected under PM’s package. (KNS)