Kerala announces Nursing University, plans 50% increase in seats

Keralam will soon establish a dedicated Nursing University to strengthen nursing education and increase the availability of trained healthcare professionals in the state, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Wednesday. The state government has also decided to increase nursing seats by 50 per cent while ensuring that academic standards are maintained.

Speaking at the state conference of the Kerala Government Nurses Union, Satheesan said the government would accord special priority to the healthcare sector despite financial constraints. He added that the government was prepared to restrict expenditure in other departments, if necessary, to strengthen healthcare services and education.

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The chief minister pointed out that a large number of students from Keralam travel to other states to pursue nursing courses, often spending between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh on their education. The government aims to bring nursing education back to the state and make it more affordable and accessible to students, he said.

Satheesan also said that regulations imposed by the Keralam Nursing Council were stricter than those prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council. The government has decided to ease certain regulations to facilitate the expansion of nursing education in the state. However, increasing the number of nursing seats would not compromise the quality of education, he assured. The government remains committed to strengthening healthcare education and ensuring that students have access to quality nursing programmes within the state.

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Tamil Nadu approves seven new government nursing colleges

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has approved the establishment of seven new government nursing colleges, adding 660 BSc Nursing seats annually across the state. Six colleges, each with an annual intake of 100 students, will come up at government medical colleges in Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Tirunelveli. The seventh college, with 60 seats, will be established at Coimbatore Government Medical College and ESI Hospital.

The six colleges will involve an estimated expenditure of Rs 270.27 crore, with Rs 45.04 crore allocated for each institution. The courses will commence only after obtaining the necessary statutory permissions, approvals and affiliations.

(With PTI inputs)