PESHAWAR: National Nurses and Midwives Research Association has expressed concern over lack of incentives for female health workers and demanded immediate advertisement to fill 4,500 vacant positions of nursing officers.

NNMRA also asked government to initiate departmental promotions from BPS-16 to BPS-17 and from BPS-17 to BPS-18 of nursing officers. The demands were made at third national research conference on the occasion of International Nurses Day here on Monday.

The event was attended by leaders of nurses, educationists, researchers, students, and healthcare professionals from across the country, a press release said. The conference discussed important issues related to nursing services, education, research and workforce development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Health Minister Khaliqur Rehman, who was chief guest on the occasion, reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening the nursing sector and improving healthcare facilities across the province.

Theme of the event was “Empower Nurses, Save Lives,” wherein Dr Shaista Jadoon presented a comprehensive 17-point agenda addressing the issues faced by nurses.

She asked for transparency and effective monitoring in nursing institutions, establishment of a provincial nursing education monitoring cell, action against unapproved institutions and unauthorised nursing programmes, creation of new community health nursing positions and nursing research and development posts for nurses having MSc and PhD degrees.

Dr Shaista also demanded regularisation of nurses working in medical teaching institutions, internship for students, establishment of a proper waiting room at Directorate General Health Services, appointment of a nursing representative in Health Secretariat and immediate implementation of an online verification system for overseas registration.

The conference was also addressed by Mussarat Ejaz, Ehsan Mohsin, Dr Ali Khan, Shakeel Ahad, Ms Fiza, Saleem Khan, Javed Khan, Abdullah Khan and others.

Special guest Ms Fouzia from Pakistan Atomic Energy Hospital announced that NNMRA would expand scholarship and internship programmes for nurses and an additional financial support of Rs3 million would be provided for the purpose.

Other speakers said that nurses played a fundamental role in patient care, disaster response, infection control, research and community health. They said that empowering nurses through recruitment, promotions, scholarships and higher education could strengthen healthcare system in the country.

The participants of the event pledged to continue working collectively for the advancement of nursing profession and improved healthcare services in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2026