New Delhi: The nurse to population ratio in the country currently stands at 1.96 nurses per 1000 population, Minister of State (MoS), Health, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The statistics were sourced from the Indian Nursing Council records.
"As per the Indian Nursing Council records, there are around 33.41 lakh nursing personnel registered in the country which gives Nurse to Population ratio as 1.96 nurses per 1000 population," she stated in a written reply. The Minister stated that the Union Government has taken several steps to increase nursing manpower in the country. The steps include relaxing of the land required to construct buildings for nursing schools and colleges, MInister said adding that the requirement of a 100 bedded parent hospital has been relaxed for hilly and tribal areas.
"Student patient ratio for Nursing Institutions has been relaxed from 1:5 to 1:3. Maximum number of 100 seats for Nursing College will be given to those having parent hospitals with 300 beds without insisting Medical College. Eligibility criteria to admission i.e. (Marks) for Diploma and Degree has been relaxed," stated Dr Pawar.
