Haryana unveils policy to check 'illegal' nursing colleges

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

The BJP-JJP government has come out with a new policy to regulate nursing education and to check mushrooming of “illegal” nursing colleges across the state.

“The policy aims at providing quality nursing education in Haryana by way of prescribing comprehensive procedures and regulation in the field of nursing education as per norms to ensure uniform standard of education,” SN Roy, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education and Research, said.

Under the new policy, an area measuring one acre will be required to set up a new nursing college (for up to two nursing courses) outside the municipal area. For starting more than two nursing courses, the area requirement outside the municipal area will be 1.5 acres. Within the municipal areas, the area requirement would be 2 kanals and 4 kanals for starting two and more than two nursing courses, respectively.

However, separate land is not a pre-requisite if nursing courses are to be started from the premises of the National Medical Commission (NMC)-recognised medical colleges and minimum 100-bed National Accreditation Board for Hospital (NABH)-accredited hospitals.

Now, after evaluation of documents submitted by the management of the prospective nursing hospital, the state government would issue letter of intent (LoI) which would be valid for three years.

“The applicant to whom LoI has been issued shall be required to submit application to the Director, Medical Education and Research, conveying for inspection for the issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC). Based on the inspection report, the application would be considered for issuance of NOC,” the policy said.

Officials said the primary objective of the policy was to allow hospital-based nursing education.

Renew NOCs in six months

To regulate nursing education, the Haryana Government had made it mandatory for the existing nursing institutes already granted NOCs to renew these as per the provisions of the new policy within a period of six months.