Overview
- The Union Health Ministry, in partnership with WHO and Jhpiego, opened a three-day national consultation in New Delhi on Wednesday to review nursing policy priorities and best practices.
- The meeting focuses on strengthening governance, education, and workforce management, with state models slated for replication in line with SDG and UHC goals.
- Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava cited recent milestones including the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission, competency-based curricula, and regulatory modernization.
- NITI Aayog’s V. K. Paul warned that uneven training quality persists and urged stronger in-service training and skill enhancement to sustain care standards.
- WHO Representative Dr. Payden said India’s policy push underpins a projected reduction in nurse shortages in the South-East Asia Region by 2030, as participants also examined equitable distribution, quality assurance, leadership development, and career progression.