Tamil Nadu

Foundation laid for nursing institute

TAMBARAM: There was a shortage of 15 lakh nurses in the public health sector in India, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss said on Saturday.

At a function organised here to lay the foundation for the Indian Institute of Advanced Nursing, a joint initiative of Clinton Foundation, the Central government and private sector companies, he said the Centre was also committed to improving the public health infrastructure.

During the 11th Plan, the Centre had allotted Rs. 3,900 crore to the nursing sector alone for building human resources, expanding infrastructure and creating four centres of excellence in Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkatta and six such regional centres in the north Indian States. He pointed out that in Bihar, which had a population of 9 crore, there was not even a nursing college. The launch of the institute, he said, was a unique model. More such initiatives were needed. Of the health infrastructure in the country, 75 per cent was with the private sector and the rest was in the public health sector, and the government was trying to bridge this gap.

Through the National Rural Health Mission, health infrastructure in rural areas was improved. Under the Mission, Tamil Nadu had received Rs. 1,850 crore. “The Mission has been acknowledged as an ideal model the world over, worthy of being implemented in many developing countries. The Tamil Nadu government could acknowledge this at least occasionally,” Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said.

Talking to reporters after the function, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said his Ministry had written to the Civil Aviation Ministry about the removal of liquor advertisements from airports. “We want to protect the youth in the country from tobacco, alcohol and junk food.” He pointed out that though liquor advertisements were banned in the electronic and print media, they continued in surrogate forms. Further, such advertisements were rampant in the ongoing India-Australia cricket series.

On the response from the State governments to the ban on smoking in public places, he said that except a couple of States, all others had responded positively. “It is more of a voluntary response from the people, and it is encouraging.” From December 1, all tobacco products should compulsorily set aside 40-50 per cent of their packaging space to statutory warnings.

Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said 116 Primary Health Centres would be started soon, and the Central government had accorded sanction. He appealed to nurses to treat patients with care and ensure that the service in government hospitals was as good as in private hospitals.

Sujatha Rao, Special Secretary and Director General, National AIDS Control Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the main thrust of the institute would be on training nurses in the public health sector. Of the project cost of Rs. 28 crore, the Centre would bear Rs. 5 crore. Yale University would provide technical assistance. Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj said the State government had granted permission to the private sector for starting 50 nursing schools and colleges.

Ira Magaziner, chairman, William J. Clinton Foundation, said that world over, it was mostly the nurses who were the lone medical professionals taking care of those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Deepak Verma, IIAN Adviser, Clinton Foundation, said the venture had the support of corporates, including Apollo Hospitals, Marg Group and Cognisant Technology Solutions.

Others who took part in the function included Supriya Sahu, Project Director, Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society; and C. Chandrasekar, Superintendent, Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine.

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