Restructuring,uplifting Of Nursing Sector Given Go-ahead

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -25th Augst,2016) : Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education (SH&ME) Punjab Najam Ahmad Shah has said that steps were being taken for the uplifting and restructuring of nursing sector. He said that Directorate General Nursing would be strengthened, adding that conducive environment at workplaces for the nurses would be provided, capacity-building and opportunities of higher education for young nurses would be created and doctors-nurses ratio in public sector hospitals would also be improved. He said that under the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, it was principally agreed to set up Punjab Nursing Council and coming days Director Nursing will be fully empowered institution to take decision. He stated this while chairing a meeting to review the steps taken for the restructuring of nursing cadre and strengthening of DG Nursing office, at Civil Secretariat, here on Wednesday. Consultant of TRF, DFID Dr Ehsanullah Tareen, Additional Secretary Health Asad Naeem, DG Nursing Punjab Nusrat Saeeda, Consultant of SH&ME Prof.

Syed Muhammad Awais, Dr Fausia Waqar, Miss Syeda Maryam Khalid and the officers of Planning Unit attended the meeting.Prof Awais briefed the meeting regarding the proposals and steps formulated for the uplifting of nursing sector.

Secretary SH&ME Najam Ahmad Shah said that the government had decided to strengthen and upgrade the nursing services in the province and decisions had been started on the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

He said that education of nursing profession would be elevated up to international standard for which necessary improvement in the syllabus would also be introduced and ample opportunities for higher education in B.Sc Nursing, M.Sc, M.Phil and Ph.D Nursing would be created for young nurses to mark the nursing sector upto the international standard.

Najam Ahmad Shah further said that capacity-building, improvement of efficiency and betterment of services would be ensured through empowering the nurses. He said that for this purpose, support would be sought from the experts of developed countries, however, after capacity-building and restructuring of the sector, system would be run through the local nursing cadre.

Secretary Health directed that a whitepaper and a roadmap regarding the short-term and long-term strategy for restructuring and uplifting of nursing sector should be prepared within a week and a way forward in the light of legal and financial requirements also be prepared. He reiterated that the government would provide required financial resources for this purpose.