President Dr Arif Alvi said capacity building of midwifery is among the priorities of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for providing better health cover to the people. President Alvi expressed these views while addressing the annual summit of Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.
He said a nursing university at the cost of Rs 10 billion is being established at National Institute of Health to double well-trained nursing staff within two years. He said the university would help training 25,000 nursing staff annually.
He also announced the launch of the 'Nursing Now' chapter of Pakistan, an ambitious project of the Nursing Now campaign, which was started worldwide in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Council of Nurses with aim to raise the status and profile of nursing. He said nursing diploma course will be replaced by the nursing degree programme.
The president declared the year 2019 as year of nursing in Pakistan to highlight the significant role played by the people associated with the nursing and midwifery profession. He said the nursing profession is regarded as the backbone of the healthcare sector and stressed the need for proper education, training and capacity building of women associated with the nursing and midwifery services, besides imparting them with leadership roles.
Linking the issue of poverty with health, President Alvi underlined the role of health professionals and nurses in alleviating the suffering of ailing humanity and cited certain challenges in the health sector including the issue of stunted growth. By observing the nursing year in Pakistan, the government would highlight the contributions made by the people associated with this field, he said.
The president said when the country has a healthy population; it would grow economically and lead to prosperity. He highlighted the need for provision of a harassment-free environment to women preferring to adopt the nursing and midwifery profession and called for their protection so that they could perform their noble cause without any stress. President also announced that the government would provide scholarships to students and nurses.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Aamir Mehmood Kiani lauded the services and contributions made by the nurses in the health sector. He said that the government is committed to delivering results in the health sector in the years ahead.
He informed that a nursing university would be established on the land of National Institute of Health (NIH), adding that the shortage of nurses would be overcome. Kiani also assured to resolve the issues confronted by the nurses as it is the top priority of the government.
WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and representative of Nursing Now said the campaign running in 70 countries across the globe would focus the core areas by enhancing the role and voice of nurses and midwives in health policy-making, encouraging investment in the nursing workforce, and recruiting more nurses into leadership roles with focus on research, proper training and the best nursing practices.