ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: The public sector hospitals throughout the country are facing a shortage of about 100,000 nurses which is further aggravating owing to the migration of trained nurses to the developed countries.

When contacted, the nursing adviser in the ministry of health, Ishfaq Anjam, admitted that the shortage of trained nurses was intensifying owing to multiple reasons.

She said about 83 nursing schools, 92 midwifery schools and 20 public health schools were producing about 3,000 nurses for the public and private sectors. Currently, there are 13,307 sanctioned posts in public sector hospitals which cannot meet the requirement of the hospitals according to the standard procedure, she added. About the shortage of nurses in the private sector, she said proper data was not available so far in this regard.

When asked about the reasons behind the shortage, she said it was insufficient sanctioned positions of nurses at all levels, variation in services structure of all provinces, lack of incentives or promotion and other facilities, inadequate system for monitoring and evaluation, insufficient involvement of nursing leaders in policy, planning and decision making levels.

Ms Anjum said the government should make comprehensive policy to export skilled manpower specially nursing staff in such a way that shortage could not erupt in the country.

She said there was demand of 0.4 million nurses in the US, 50,000 in Middle East and the European countries. Pakistan can avail this opportunity to export nurses to these countries, he added.

“If we properly manage and also enhance the sanctioned posts in the public sector hospitals then we can meet domestic and other countries’ demand to earn foreign exchange.

“In my opinion, the trained nurses must serve three years in the country and then they may be allowed to proceed to other countries,” she said.

In reply to a question, she said till July, Pakistan sent 458 nurses abroad to the Middle East, Europe, and US. No- objection certificates for scores of other nurses are in process, she added.—APP