ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Young Nurses Federation President Sajjad Hussain has raised concerns over the governance of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), alleging irregularities in its administration and the accreditation process for nursing colleges, and called upon the federal government to ensure greater representation of qualified nursing professionals in the regulatory body.
In a statement, Hussain claimed that the PNMC, which regulates nursing and midwifery education and professional standards across the country, had for several years been operating under the influence of individuals who, according to him, did not adequately represent the nursing profession.
He particularly questioned the appointment of non-nursing professionals to senior positions in the council, arguing that nurses and midwives play a central role in Pakistan’s healthcare system and that qualified nursing professionals should have an appropriate role in managing and regulating their profession.
Hussain also raised allegations regarding the accreditation of nursing colleges. He claimed that inspections of around 200 colleges had been conducted, but that accreditation of only 16 institutions was currently being pursued. He further alleged that the remaining institutions could be subjected to fresh inspections.
He questioned why institutions that had already undergone the prescribed inspection process should face another round of inspections instead of decisions being taken on the basis of their existing inspection reports.
“If accreditation is to be decided through considerations other than the inspection process, then the purpose of conducting inspections and spending resources on inspection teams needs to be explained,” Hussain said.
He demanded that institutions meeting the prescribed standards be granted approval on merit, while those failing to meet regulatory requirements should be rejected in accordance with applicable rules and procedures.
The federation president said nurses had expected reforms in the council to strengthen transparency, merit and professional standards, but expressed disappointment over what he described as the prevailing situation.
Hussain urged nurses across Pakistan to remain united in seeking transparency and professional representation in the regulatory body, saying the effectiveness and credibility of the PNMC were directly linked to the standards of nursing and midwifery education and practice in the country.
He called upon the federal government to ensure that positions requiring nursing expertise within the council were filled by appropriately qualified and experienced nursing professionals in accordance with applicable law and eligibility criteria.
Hussain warned that the Pakistan Young Nurses Federation could resort to protest if its concerns were not addressed by the government.
The allegations and claims made by the federation president could not be independently verified, and the response of the PNMC and relevant federal health authorities was not immediately available.
