Patna: The government is working to create a nursing directorate on the Union government's recommendations to improve nursing education and their working conditions.

Sanjay Kumar, the principal secretary of the health department, announced this at a programme on strengthening pre-service nursing training organised by the State Health Society Bihar here on Friday. He said the health department was also working to revive the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare, which provides skill-based training to healthcare professionals.

"We are also in the process of amending the institute's bylaws so that we can recruit a director for the institution through pan-India selection," said Sanjay, admitting to the need for strengthening nursing care facilities in the government health facilities.

"We are going to conduct a survey to find the requirement for general nurse midwives and auxiliary nurse midwives in the state, and make an action plan to set up more nursing schools in Bihar. Right now, auxiliary nurse midwives are working at the sub-divisional level and general nurse midwives at the district level," said Sanjay.

He also talked about his department's plan to strengthen the Bihar Nursing Registration Council and move it online in the next two months. The council registers grants certificates to qualified nurses to practise, watches and takes action against malpractices in the profession, and regulates training programme of diploma, graduate and postgraduate nursing courses.

Paramedic strike

Paramedical students on Friday sat on an indefinite hunger strike at the examination controller's office at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, in protest against delay in the first-year exams of the 2016-18 session.

The students, gathered under Bihar Para Medical Sangharsh Samiti, said their two-year course has been extended to four years because of the delay in holding exams, and demanded the exam dates to be announced without any delay.