Education Minister Directs HEC To Resolve Issues Of Pakistan Nursing Council

Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood Thursday directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to address all the issues of Pakistan Nursing Council on priority basis

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2021 ) :Federal Minister for education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood Thursday directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to address all the issues of Pakistan Nursing Council on priority basis.

The direction was given during a meeting held here between a high level delegation of Pakistan Nursing Council and the minister.

The delegation apprised the minister of the problems of Pakistan Nursing Council which are related to HEC.

The delegation briefed the minister about the issues including to upgrade MSPH nurses to MSN through fast track, the equivalence of Post Registered Nurses BSN Program, Aga Khan University school of Nursing and Midwifery Transition Program, the amendment in the admission policy of the Master of Science in two years Nursing.

The delegation told that the country was currently facing a shortage of 9 million nurses and if 70,000 nurses were trained every year, this target could be met by 2030.

The minister directed to provide immediate relief to the nurses who were facing problems for not studying Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies as essential subjects in nursing programs in the 90's as they had already studied these subjects at matriculation and inter level.

Shafqat Mehmood said that there was a great demand for Pakistani nurses at the international level but since they were also needed in Pakistan, they were not being sent abroad in interests of the country.

The delegation appreciated the practical initiative of the Ministry of Education and Professional Training to provide one thousand scholarships for MS and PhD programs in nursing in recognition of services in the field .

The low income nurses could not even imagine these programs due to their limited resources, the delegation said.

The minister told the Executive Director HEC that the scholarships should also be given by HEC for the development and promotion of the nursing sector.

The delegation thanked the minister and said that this was the first time that any government had paid so much attention to the field of nursing.