Mandatory internship for nursing students will address nurses’ shortage: Capt. Chowta
The Hindu
MP Brijesh Chowta urges government to introduce mandatory nursing internship program to address shortage of healthcare professionals.
Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta on Friday, February 7, urged the government to introduce a mandatory internship program for nursing students on the lines of internship for MBBS graduates.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, he urged the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to direct the Nursing Council of India to implement the policy-level change to strengthen the healthcare system in the country.
Giving the example of the District Government Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru that not only caters to patients from Dakshina Kannada district, but also from several other neighbourng districts including Kasargod in Kerala, Capt. Chowta said the hospital was suffering from severe shortage of nursing staff. The 905-bed hospital should have had 483 nursing staff as per the prevailing guidelines; but only 265 were working.
The situation at the Wenlock hospital, one of the premier government sector hospitals in Karnataka, was not an isolated one; similar situation was prevailing in government hospitals across the country. Though government hospitals have good number of experienced doctors, rendering quality patient care was becoming difficult because of shortage of the nursing staff. In such a situation, nursing students under internship would have been of much help, he said.
Practical training in medical education was essential, Capt. Chowta said and added that a structured internship programme would enhance the hands-on skills of nursing graduates and ensure their equitable deployment across government hospitals, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This move, he stated, would bridge the critical gap in healthcare delivery by ensuring the availability of trained nursing professionals where they were needed the most.
The MP said, “The introduction of a mandatory nursing internship will not only equip nursing students with the necessary clinical experience but also help address the shortage of trained professionals across the country. This is a crucial step toward strengthening our public healthcare system and ensuring quality medical care for all.”
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