Nursing education in crisis

67 educational institutions affiliated to the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTTV) have handed over the key to Education, Science and Technology Minister Ashok Kumar Rai saying that they cannot conduct education.

Although they have been conducting nursing program of proficiency certificate level since the year 2057, due to the non-cooperation of the Medical Education Commission, the new admissions have been blocked since the year 2078, the administrators of the school have said.

Minister Rai said that it would be difficult to meet the demands of the technical school operators only with his own efforts. He said that he would take the initiative to solve the problem by discussing this matter with the Prime Minister, Health Minister and other relevant authorities.

The final/annual examination of the students enrolled in this school in 2077 has also been completed on 26th Mansir 2080. Nirmal Sapkota, General Secretary of Forum for Health and Technical Science, said that the key was handed over to the minister as the institution was closed due to lack of new students. Sapkota said that the entire educational infrastructure of that school has become useless.

According to Sapkota, 15 nursing instructors and 10 administrative staff working in every educational institution, 1 thousand five nursing instructors and 670 administrative staff have been sent on compulsorily unpaid leave. Sapkota said that if there is no decision regarding the admission of students in nursing, they will not be able to return to the service.

He said, “Since the nursing program is closed, the investment of crores in educational institutions has been lost. On the other hand, this year alone, out of 12,000 students who want to study staff nurses, more than 10,000 students and their parents have to go abroad or change their minds to study another subject.

According to the CTIV Act, 2049 enacted by the Parliament in 2049, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, as the Chairman of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Council, is responsible for the guardianship of this matter.

“We expect the minister to open admissions in closed educational institutions, provide opportunities for studying in nursing education, employment opportunities for teachers and staff, and guarantee the security of the financial investment of the educational institutions,” Sapkota said while handing over the keys of the educational institutions to the minister.

They have also submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Health and Population, Parliament’s Education, Health and Information Technology Committee, Technical Education and Vocational Training Council and other agencies requesting them to take initiative to solve their problems.

According to the provisions of the Medical Education Act, the Medical Education Commission has not given permission for admission to those colleges, saying that only educational institutions with 100-bed hospitals can be allowed to teach nursing. Gorkhapatra