His Excellency, Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Hon’ble Vice President of India, honourable guests, awardees and my
colleagues from the Ministry.
While I welcome you all to this pious occasion of honouring the distinguished nursing personnel who have
been performing their duties with devotion and conviction, I convey my sincere thanks and gratitude to His
Excellency, Hon’ble Vice President for having spared time from his busy
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schedule. It is a matter of pride that
we have among us, here today, persons from the nursing community who have followed the path set by the
pioneer of the profession, Florence Nightingale. She was born on 12 May 1820 and this year happens to be
the 190th year of her birth. The world remembers her services over all these year and commemorates her birthday as the International Nurses Day. As everyone else, I also recognise the nursing profession as pious and noble
profession which serves the humanity when it is needed the most. I congratulate the winners of the awards today and convey
the gratitude of the nation for having served the countrymen selflessly in the best traditions of nursing.
While you all have been working hard to serve the countrymen with best of your abilities, we in the Government have also
been working to improve the over-all health scenario, especially improve availability of nursing personnel, create opportunities
to upgrade their skills and acquiring higher degrees, namely, M.Sc.(Nursing) by the undergraduate students as well as nursing
personnel who are already working in hospitals/nursing homes. In fact, only a few days back my Ministry has invited nominations
from the States for higher education of nursing personnel working in the government sector.
Though there are ANM/GNM schools, and colleges conducting certificate, diploma B.Sc./M.Sc. degree courses in Nursing
across the country, still there is shortage of nursing personnel and the nursing population remains at 1:1100, and the nurse doctor
ratio is 1:1.5 which is low compared to many of the nations of the world. There are about 4,300 nursing schools/colleges with an
annual intake of about 1,70,000, out of which around 63,000 seats are of B.Sc. level and around 4300 seats are of M.Sc. level.
These are highly impressive figures. However, in order to upgrade our nursing skills and improve the overall availability of
nursing personnel, we need to do more, and let me assure you we are doing more. The budget allocations have been increased
tremendously. During 11th Plan we have made a total provision of Rs.3180 crore against 10th Plan provision of Rs.78 crore. Out
of 11th Plan provision of Rs.3180 crore Rs.280 crore are meant for the ongoing schemes, and a whopping sum of Rs.2900 crores
is meant for new schemes to be taken up during the 11th Plan.
There are around 10.35 lakh nurses registered with the Nursing Council at present of which it is hoped that around 40
percent would be in active service in India, thus around 4.00 lakh nurses are available to country at the present. Based on
estimates made by different agencies, around 9.55 lakh more nurses are required at the present rates. In order to meet the
shortage of nurses and bring the availability of nursing personnel at par with the developed countries where the nurse doctor
ratio is 3:1, compared to 1:1.5, we have taken major initiatives over the past one year, one such initiative being introduction of a
new scheme for upgrdation and strengthening of nursing services. The scheme envisages:
 Opening of 132 ANM schools at an estimated cost of Rs.5.00 crores per school.
Establishment of 137 GNM Schools at an estimated cost of Rs.10.00 crore per school. Care will be taken to open schools in
230 districts, where there are no such schools at present.
14 State Nursing Councils are being strengthened at estimated cost of Rs. 1.00 crore per council.
14 Nursing Cells in Directorate of Health Services in the States are being strengthened at an estimated cost of Rs.1.00 crore
per State.
6 more Nursing Colleges are being opened at estimated cost of Rs. 20.00 crore per college.
In addition, there is a faculty development programme, that would ease the strained availability position of faculty. Not only are
we providing funds for opening of new nursing schools/colleges, we are also facilitating their opening in many other ways. For
example, we have relaxed the student patient ratio from 1:5 to 1:3, adopted a pragmatic approach in respect of faculty requirements
and the qualifications and experience norms and the upper age limit of faculty has also been relaxed. Similarly, super
speciality hospitals have been allowed to start M.Sc. programmes without insisting on having graduate programs; married females
have been allowed admission in nursing course. Similarly, 100 nursing seats would be allowed to parent hospitals without
insisting on a medial college. I would also like to mention in brief the great strides that have been made under the National Rural
Health Mission which not only aims at providing accessible and affordable health services to the common man but has also
opened opportunities for the health providers from specialists and doctors to other equally important, if not more, health professionals
like nurses. I take this opportunity to appeal to all present here to take this message among the colleagues to encourage the
nursing personnel also to join the team working in rural areas, where the real India lives, as was said by the father of the nation,
Mahatma Gandhi ji. Before I conclude, I once again congratulate the awardees for their marvellous fete and advise the nursing
community to emulate the model set by these gem of persons. Thank you.
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