Dental Advisory Council
The council will advise the commission and will also be the platform through which states and UTs will put forth their views.
It will also advise the Commission on measures to “enhance equitable access to dental education and uniform system of examination.”
India’s Healthcare Crisis : Addressing the Nursing Shortage
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India's healthcare professionals are severely under-resourced. According to official estimates, India currently has less than two nurses for every 1,000 people in the country.
This figure is far below the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended number of three nurses for every 1,000 people.
However, this figure is a conservative estimate, and the number of allied healthcare professionals needs to increase eight times to meet the country's needs over the next 25 years.
India's population is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030, which creates a massive demand for healthcare professionals.
The Skew in Nursing Education
More than 40% of nursing colleges in India are located in southern states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, which has created a significant skew in the distribution of nursing education.
This issue has been addressed to some extent by the allotment of new nursing colleges to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
However, there is still a long way to go to ensure equitable distribution of nursing education for healthcare facilities across the country.
Skills to Be Taught
Increasing the number of nursing professionals is one part of addressing the healthcare crisis in India.
The other requirement is to equip these caregivers with the necessary skill sets required in a medical setup.
Medical setups throw up new challenges, and old problems remain unresolved. Proper communication training could help resolve the acrimony between patients and healthcare professionals.
The nursing cadre must also familiarize themselves with the rapidly changing technologies in medical care, which would help equip them to work autonomously.
Experts suggest that institutes in India currently do not provide nurses with adequate training to take up leadership positions.
The Indian nursing education curriculum needs to be revamped to achieve this, and continuous upskilling must be provided to maintain competency.
Improving Remittances and Revenue Generation
Migrant nurses, most of them from southern states, have been a significant source of remittance.
These professionals are in high demand in hospitals in Europe, the Americas, and West Asia.
Investing in nursing education will help enhance the revenue-generating capacity of potential migrants.
This will promote the emigration of highly skilled professionals, which would increase opportunities for Indian professionals outside the country.
Conclusion
The Indian government's decision to set up 157 new nursing colleges is a positive step in addressing the healthcare crisis in the country.
However, it is essential to ensure that the education imparted in these colleges is of high quality, and students have access to the latest technologies and trends in the field.
It is equally crucial to ensure that nursing professionals are given proper communication training, familiarised with rapidly changing technologies in medical care, and equipped to work autonomously.
Additionally, the upskilling of nurses to take on leadership positions must be done through continuous training.
The nursing curriculum in India needs to be revamped to ensure that it is in line with the latest healthcare trends and technologies.
Institutes should focus on providing theoretical and practical knowledge to nursing students, covering all aspects of healthcare, including geriatric care, pediatrics, and critical care.
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