M A I N   N E W S

State of Nursing Schools-I
Flouting rules as govt turns blind eye
Maneesh Chhibber
Tribune News Service

Nangal, August 25
Punjab has about 100 nursing institutes, most of them without adequate infrastructure and facilities. They function in complete disregard of Punjab Government guidelines and rules.

Under the guidelines issued by the Department of Medical Education and Research, Punjab, on May 4, 1998, no institute can run from a rented accommodation. Each institute must have properly constructed buildings for academics and hostel purposes, with the minimum area required being two acres.

But, in a majority of cases, the Punjab Government and the Punjab Nurses Registration Council (PNRC) have allowed institutes to function from rented accommodation.

In certain cases, while official records show that an institute is functioning at one place, it is actually located at an altogether different place. Many institutes are also guilty of making admissions in excess of the number of seats allocated to them.

On February 5, 2004, the Secretary, Medical Education and Research, wrote to the Registrar, PNRC, highlighting how Mata Sahib Kaur Institute of Nursing, Mohali, had admitted students in excess of the seats given to it. Later, one such student was asked to complete her course at a nursing institute at Tarn Taran. But, no action was taken against the institute.

Incidentally, Mata Sahib Institute is located inside an industrial shed at Mohali. Its Managing Director, Mr Charanjit Singh Walia, is president of the Nursing Training Institutes Association, Punjab.

One of the main conditions for all institutes being granted NOCs is that they will complete their building in one year’s time. But, very few institutes fulfil the clause. The institutes can make admissions only if they have complete infrastructure, including building and hostel. But, that is seldom the case.

Another institute, Dr Dayal Singh Memorial School of Nursing is functioning at Nangal. However, the GNM course was to be conducted at the institute’s building at village Nikowal (Nangal). It was also given permission for running ANM course at its institute at village Kukowal (Nangal). But, till today, the management has been conducting classes for both the courses at the same location on Railway Road, Nangal.

The essentiality certificate or NOC for the ANM course dated February 9, issued to the institute, says that it doesn’t have its own land. “The applicant was under the impression that two acres of land of GNM course could be shared with ANM school. This is not possible and the college will have to buy two acres of land for exclusive use by ANM school”, the certificate says.

Incidentally, Mr Tejinder Singh, owner of the institute, is related to Mr Charanjit Singh Walia. The Principal of the institute, Ms V. Pillai, is a member of the PNRC. 

A case was also registered by the Ropar Police at Police Station, Nangal, on October 12, 2004, against the management of the institute for allegedly cheating students.
But, when Mr Tejinder Singh wrote to the Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh seeking direction to the Secretary, Medical Education and Research, to issue affiliation letter to his institute, favourable action was swift. Less than two days of his submitting the application, on October 28, 2004, the Chief Minister’s, Office wrote to the Registrar, PNRC, “for compliance as per the Chief Minister’s directive”.

The very next day, on October 29, the Registrar wrote to the institute granting provisional recognition for 40 seats of GNM and 20 seats of ANM course. But, a condition imposed in the letter was for the management to remove deficiencies within three months. Nothing was done thereafter.

Following a missive from the Chief Minister, all nursing institutes were given time till May 31, 2005, to complete their buildings. The order also said that no institute would be allowed to operate in rented building for the session 2005-06 onwards. But, when this reporter made admission inquiries at Dr Dayal Singh Memorial School of Nursing, Nangal, the staff said that the admission process is on. Similar is the condition at Victor Nursing Institute, Kharar. The institute, owned by Mr B.S. Garcha, whose wife is OSD to Punjab Chief Minister, is also running in a rented accommodation. It is not just the PNRC which is guilty of ignoring serious irregularities.

The Indian Nursing Council (INC) is equally at fault. It is known to have granted feasibility certificates to institutes operating from residential premises. On June 30, 2004, Mr Satish Chandra, then Secretary, Department of Medical Education and Research, Punjab, in an official communication accused the INC of flouting its own guidelines. 

He also sent a list of 16 nursing institutes that were operating from rented commercial/residential buildings. PNRC President Dr J.S. Dalal, when contacted for his comments on the issue, claimed that PNRC was studying the reports sent by various Deputy Commissioners following raids conducted on July 19 on about 95 nursing institutes. “We will decide the future course of action only after studying the reports,” he told The Tribune. To be concluded