Govt. hospitals short of 20,000 Nightingales

by Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU) has urged the Health Ministry to seek approval from the Public Service Commission and the Cabinet to increase the Nursing cadre to overcome the existing dearth of nurses in government hospitals.

Administrative Secretary of the PSUNU, Hector Francis, said yesterday that the present cadre had been determined way back in 1998.

Francis said that it was over a year since the new Nursing Cadre was drafted by the Health Ministry following consultations with nursing trade unions. However, there had been an inordinate delay ion the part of the Ministry in seeking approval for it from the Public Service Commission and the Cabinet.

According to a WHO report, formulated in collaboration with the Health Ministry, it has been estimated that 46,000 nurses were required by 2010.However, government hospitals currently function with only 26,000 nurses. The National Hospital requires approximately 1,000 nurses more for the smooth functioning of its units. Currently, it has 2,500 nurses.

Francis said that there were three batches of trainees numbering 6,000 18 nursing schools. The first batch would pass out only in 2014, he said.

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