Acute Shortage of Nurses in the Country

As per the Planning Commission’s National Taskforce Report, there would be a gap of 9.55 lakhs nurses by 2012 of which 2 to 3 lakhs would be in the Government facilities alone. 14,06,006 nurses have been registered so far in India out of which 16371 nurses have been registered with the Assam Nursing Council. Separate information regarding nurses in active service is not maintained.

The Government has identified certain districts preferably where no such Institution exists under the Scheme of Strengthening/Upgradation of Nursing Services for opening of Auxillary Nurse Midwife (ANM)/General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) Institutes in various states in 2 phases. Government has sanctioned 117 ANM and 137 GNM Schools in various states for this purpose.

This information was given by the Minister for Health & Family Welfare ShriGhulamNabi Azad in written reply to a question in the RajyaSabha