Date:21/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/21/stories/2008122159870300.htm

Karnataka

‘Nurses play a vital role in healthcare system’

Staff Correspondent

Manipal: Home Minister V.S. Acharya said on Saturday that nurses had a vital role to play in the healthcare system.

He was speaking after inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of the Manipal School of Nursing, here. He also released a souvenir on the occasion.

Dr. Acharya said that nurses were an integral part of the healthcare team. They should not feel inferior in any manner. Lauding the initiative taken by the Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences in including disaster management in its syllabi for nursing courses, he said Manipal University would soon follow suit.

Stating that Manipal University was providing quality education, Dr. Acharya said that nurses, doctors and specialists, trained in the educational institutions of Manipal, were found in most countries of the world.

The Kasturba Medical College at Manipal was the first private medical college in the State. So too, Manipal College of Nursing was the first private nursing school in the State. Nearly 40 per cent of nursing institutes in the country were located in Karnataka, Dr. Acharya said.