90% Of The Sindh Nursing Schools And Colleges Are Fake
The Senate National Health Subcommittee, formed on the basis of a working paper submitted by the Pakistan Nursing Council on the list of colleges affiliated with it, found that 90% of colleges in Sindh province are shadow schools with no direct link to hospitals and clinics.
The Senate Subcommittee on National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination was convened by Senator Rubina Khalid in Parliament to discuss the issue of fake institutions registered with the Pakistan Nursing Council, their affiliation with hospitals, and issuing diplomas/fake certificates to nurses.
The sub-committee expressed its dissatisfaction with the slow progress of the dossier and asked the reasons for the delay.
“The case has been pending for a year,” the President noted, adding, “It shows the power of the PNC, which appears to be even greater than that of the Prime Minister,” she added.
He pointed out that this is evident from the fact that the PMC failed to implement the guidelines of the Senate Committee and the National Assembly Committee regarding the repatriation of Ms. Yasmeen Azad, Deputy Secretary of the Pakistan Nursing Council.
“The current state of the PNC is plagued with problems,” he said, expressing his hope that the new council will play an active and instrumental role in improving the shape of the PNC.
The secretary informed the committee that the formation of the new board will result in changes in the roles of the chancellor and other deputies.
The Undersecretary of State for Health told the commission that a new Nursing Council has been set up, which will serve as the governing body. Their first meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.
He said once the new council is operational, it will quickly address the issue of fake degrees and universities and repatriation orders. The sub-committee decided that the President of the new Board and a representative of the Ministry would be invited to the next meeting immediately after the first internal meeting of the Board.
In its submission to the subcommittee, the PN&MC stated that the board does not recognize ghost or fictitious care facilities and that strict legal action would be taken against such facilities. The committee asked about the number and list of colleges that have been closed so far, but the PN&MC registrar remained silent.
The subcommittee also asked the PNC to report at the next meeting on any investigations it had conducted into monitoring ghost schools since its inception and whether any of these have been closed by the council.
The committee also questioned a point in the report that no other department, state or private, other than PN&MC can regulate or organize nursing degrees/diplomas/courses/programs offered by accredited nursing institutes/colleges in the country.
“What is this system?” exclaimed Senator Rubina Khalid, asking if the PN&MC had no oversight authority. He asked the Department to provide information on the changes to the PNC (Amendment) Act 2023.
The matter was adjourned for further deliberation and reporting.
Senator Prof. Dr. More Taj Roghani, Senator Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and other officials from the Ministry and the PNC.
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