LAHORE – The University of Health Sciences (UHS) expressed concerns over the increasing number of substandard nursing schools and urged the government authorities to take immediate action to address this issue.
The concerns were raised during a meeting with UHS Vice Chancellor Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore at the varsity campus on Thursday.
The Syndicate meeting agreed that if the trend of establishing substandard nursing schools in neighborhoods continues, the quality of nursing education would be completely destroyed.
The Vice Chancellor pointed out that private colleges have made nominal agreements with government hospitals to protect their interests, which is affecting the practical training system. The Syndicate decided that new nursing colleges should not be approved unless they have their own teaching hospitals.
The Syndicate also decided to send a letter to the Punjab government and the Pakistan Nursing Council on this matter and recommended that the issue be raised with the federal government as well.
Furthermore, it was suggested that necessary legislation be enacted for the improvement of nursing education. The meeting also expressed concern over the violation of UHS rules by numerous substandard nursing schools that are affiliating with general universities. The Vice Chancellor clarified that this practice is a clear violation of the UHS Act and should not be allowed.
The meeting also approved the affiliation of several nursing colleges and the increase in seats. New nursing degree programs will be started in affiliated new colleges, including Al-Aleem Institute of Nursing Lahore, Rahber College of Nursing Lahore, and Shaukat Khanum College of Nursing. These colleges were affiliated based on the inspection and recommendations of UHS’s affiliation committee.
Under the decision of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council, the approval was also granted to start evening shifts in private nursing colleges. Accordingly, 100 additional seats were added to the evening shift at Saeeda Waheed FMH College of Nursing Lahore.
Additional seats were also approved for other colleges including 110 at Al-Aleem Institute of Nursing Lahore, 60 at Arcturus College of Nursing Narowal, 140 at Niazi College of Nursing Sargodha, 70 at Sahara College of Nursing Narowal, 70 at Shahida Islam Nursing College Lodhran, and 50 at Sharif College of Nursing.
According to the Syndicate’s decision, the additional seats for the morning shift in nursing colleges would be filled in the current session based on the merit from the existing waiting list.
However, the admissions for the evening shift would begin in the next session.
UHS Syndicate members and other officials including Dr. Zahid Pervez, Professor Arshad Cheema, Professor Nadia Naseem, Professor Samina Kausar, Professor Sadra Saleem, Professor Maryam Malik, Additional Secretary Finance Punjab Bilal Hisham, and UHS Registrar Kiran Fatima were present there.
Additionally, Professor Khalid Masood Gondal, Professor Sofia Farukh and Additional Secretary Specialized Healthcare Dr. Sadra Saleem attended online.
