Haryana Government approves new nursing policy

by Haryananewswire (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, OCT 20

The Haryana Government has accorded approval to its new nursing policy to issuance of  Essentiality Certificate for starting Nursing Colleges and Schools in the state. A notification to this effect has been issued.

          Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh said that the new nursing policy would smoothly regulate  the functioning of such colleges and schools. This step would also help in meeting the requirements of nursing staff and would bring quality in nursing training. He said that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is committed to promote medical education in the state and new policy would prove a step forward in this direction.

          He  said that any organization under the Central Government, State Government, Local Body or a Public or Private Trust, Mission, Society registered under Societies Registration Act or   not for profit company registered under Companies Act may apply for issuance of Essentiality Certificate to the State Government in the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Haryana. Any private hospital with minimum 120 beds might open its own nursing school for which essentiality certificate might be granted by the State. Processing fee of Rs.25,000 should accompany with the application.

          He said that the basic unit of a nursing school would be 40 students of General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) and 40 students of Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM). While the Essentiality Certificate for setting up of such a basic unit would be issued by the Government, the affiliating institution or university and Indian Nursing Council may grant permission for opening of ANM or GNM or both the schools depending upon availability of infrastructure, faculty and training hospital. If an already established and functional institution applies for additional basic unit of nursing school, the same could be considered subject to meeting the requirements of faculty and infrastructure as per norms and also subject to the condition that not more than two basic units would be allowed to any institution.

          Giving details about essentially certificate, the Minister said that the applicant should have at-least four acre of land at one place. Land fragmented in more than one piece should not be considered. The land should either be owned by the applicant or leased for at least 33 years. The applicant should have adequate arrangement of funds for construction of buildings as per norms of Indian Nursing Council (INC), for installation of other infrastructure including laboratories, libraries equipments and for initiating operations of the college. Adequacy of funds would be judged from cost of construction and equipment of constructed area as per INC norms.

He said that the applicant, other than Central or State Government, should have either its own 120 bed hospital or an irrevocable Memorandum of Understanding, for atleast five years  with 120 bed hospital  containing facilities and infrastructure as prescribed in the guidelines of Indian Nursing Council provided that for meeting with the condition of 120 beds, the combined bed strength of upto three hospitals only would be considered.

          All those applicants in whose favour an Essentiality Certificate is issued would apply to the University of Health Sciences, Rohtak and the INC for affiliation or recognition.