Date:12/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/12/stories/2007061202190500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Ban on new nursing schools to be lifted

Special Correspondent

Ban on starting ayurvedic and pharma colleges to be revoked

Panel's report on the issue to be approved in the Cabinet meeting

BANGALORE: As large number of proposals pending before the Government, the Cabinet sub-committee on professional courses on Monday decided to lift a ban imposed on sanctioning of new nursing, ayurvedic, pharmaceutical, and paramedical schools and colleges.

After the meeting, Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya told presspersons that the committee had decided to recommend to the Government to lift the blanket ban imposed by Dharam Singh Government on sanctioning these colleges and schools on July 22, 2005. The next Cabinet meeting would approve the committee's recommendation, he said.

The State had the highest number of nursing institutions in the country — 294 colleges and 549 schools.

A Task Force for Paramedical Education, Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy (2006), headed by C.M. Gurmurthy, noted ENT surgeon and former Special Officer of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, recommended to the Government not to sanction new nursing schools and colleges for three years from 2006-07.

In accordance with the Indian Nursing Council (INC) norms, all nursing schools and colleges should have their own hospitals of 100 beds and 150 beds respectively. All nursing schools and colleges would be given three years to adhere to this norm, Dr. Acharya said. Many managements had submitted proposals to the Government seeking permission to open schools and colleges in nursing, ayurvedic, pharmaceutical, and paramedical courses. The committee felt that institutions, which would provide good infrastructure to open colleges, should not be denied permission, the Minister said.

Managements had to submit proposals to Karnataka Nursing Council for registration. After the scrutiny, the high power committee would forward the proposals to Cabinet sub-committee.

The meeting presided over by Deputy Chief Minister B.S Yediyurappa increased the intake of MD, Master of Dental Science (MDS) and postgraduate diploma courses in nine colleges.

The colleges were Navodaya Medical College, Raichur; Command Hospital, Bangalore; Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli; K.S. Hegde Medical College, Mangalore; Rajarajeshwari Dental College, Shyamala Reddy Dental College, both Banglaore; H.K.E.S. Dental College, Gulbarga; A.J. Institute of Dental College, Mangalore; and Al-Badar Rural Dental College, Gulbarga.