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Nursing day: More nurses, but supply short
KATHMANDU, MAY 12 -
The number of nurses is increasing in the country, but the health sector still reels under a huge crunch of the skilled caretakers.
According to the latest WHO data, Nepal, Bangladesh, Liberia, Central African Republic and Haiti have the lowest ratios of nurses among all nations, ranging from 5.0 to 11.0 nurses per 100,000 people.
The population per doctor is 18,439, per nurse 4,987 and per hospital bed 2,349, says the UN’s health body in its 2003 report.
Nursing professionals say the bleak career prospects at home and the offers of lucrative jobs abroad are causing the shortage of nursing human resources.
“Though the country produces a large number of nurses every year, they are in high demand. The government is unable to manage their proper placements,” says Pramila Dewan, chairperson of Nursing Association of Nepal.
Another nursing professional also sees the crisis of nurses in the country despite their number increasing day by day. “The shortage is acute in rural areas,” says Sagun Parajuli, a lecturer of Innovative Nursing College.
There are other factors to blame. “Untimely promotion and lack of recognition on par with doctors in the country are encouraging the nursing practitioners to go abroad,” she says.
“Nurses are treated as second class health professionals. This is not fair.”
Nursing teachers also buy Dewan’s argument. “Parents invest about half a million money in nursing study of their children, but they are unsure about the return. This has resulted in frustration among students. So they wish to go abroad,” said Yemuna Koirala, a nursing teacher.
Nursing practitioners say nursing colleges have failed to update themselves with new developments.
“We do not get regular information on the current developments of this profession,” said Jaya Sigdel, a nurse at Teaching Hospital.
Questions are being raised about the quality of nursing institutions too. “Many institutions are running without meeting the minimum criteria,” adds Deewan.
There are about 70 PCL and 12 bachelor’s level nursing institutions in Nepal.
Posted on: 2010-05-13 08:29
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