Patna, Feb. 17: The recently sanctioned 14 auxiliary nurse-cum-midwife (ANM) and general-nurses-cum-midwife (GNM) schools could take years to be a reality if the state government does not wake up to the nurse crisis in Bihar.

At present, the state has only eight government-run ANM and GNM schools. The government has planned to open a nursing school in each of the 38 districts within the next two years. The sanction for the 14 schools was given a few months ago. But it would take years to develop their infrastructure.

The health department has just sent a proposal for the remaining 16 to the Centre for approval. Two BSc nursing schools at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences and Holy Family Hospital in the capital will start shortly, taking the total number of schools functioning to 10.

Health secretary Sanjay Kumar told The Telegraph: “Strengthening the nursing services in the government sector in the next two years is our priority. So a proposal has been sent. Plans are afoot to get the remaining 16 nursing schools sanctioned this year and then start putting requisite infrastructure, resources and faculty in place under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme. These schools will produce quality nurses to strengthen the public healthcare.”

Sources said there is 33 per cent shortage of nurses at present. The training standard of those working had traditionally been poor, admitted officials.

The health secretary admitted that the existing nursing schools were grappling with the problems of poor infrastructure, shortage of faculty and poor teaching standard.

According to NRHM estimates, the state requires 5,488 more ANMs, 70 public health nurses, 76 district public health nurses, 13,818 staff nurses, 383 head nurses, 114 assistant matrons, 48 matrons and 147 teachers.

To counter the problem, the health department intends to take the help of other organisations to get feedback and brush-up skills of the working nurses.

“We have entered into an arrangement with the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK to start interactive classes in two nursing schools in the state. Based on its feedback and benefit to the students, the programme will be started in other schools,” Kumar added.

However, the picture does not seem to be as green as officials paint it.

According to experts, the state does not have MSc courses in nursing. The teaching facilities and quality are poor mainly because of shortfall in terms of teachers, teaching aids, equipment in nursing laboratories, space, books and journals, and inadequacy in teaching and clinical training.

A recent report titled Study Report on Nursing Services in Bihar, which was prepared by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), said the crucial findings of the study were gross shortfall of nursing personnel at all health facilities, non-availability of critical public healthcare mainly because of lack of requisite post, vacancies owing to non-recruitment for several years and undue delay in promotion.

The analysis also says that the nursing profession in Bihar is characterised by stagnation and apathy among nursing personnel at all levels and nursing cadres, posts and career progressions are inadequately defined.