Patna, April 1 (UNI) Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Wednesday inaugurated the online accreditation facility for nursing institutions through a digital platform.
Addressing a function as a guest of honour at the Energy Stadium in Shastri Nagar, the Health Minister said that taking the NOC and other procedures of nursing institutions online would bring improvement in standards and transparency.
Mr Pandey said that till a decade ago, there were no nursing institutions in the state. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took important steps to promote nursing education in the state.
Under the Chief Minister's seven resolves scheme, government and private nursing colleges were opened rapidly. He said that today, 656 nursing colleges in Bihar are imparting various nursing courses.
There are 41,065 approved seats for studying in these institutions. The Health Minister said that the government would take effective steps to increase the number of nursing institutions, however, the institutions should maintain standards.
He further said that there would be no compromise on the quality of nursing education. Students getting quality education in the state's nursing institutions would establish their identity not only at the national but also at the international level in the future.
Nursing courses are being run across the state, with a total of 41,065 approved seats available. The new digital platform will further strengthen the monitoring and data management of these institutions.
Bihar is all set to emerge as a model for the entire country in the near future. This new system is a revolution in the healthcare sector.
The state government is continuously working to empower women, and nursing education is working as a powerful tool in this effort. After the implementation of this new system, the qualifications of those graduating from Bihar's nursing institutions will be in accordance with national and international standards.
Mr Pandey further stated that this portal has been developed with two basic objectives. Firstly, the entire process of applying for new nursing colleges and obtaining NOC will now be done digitally.
Secondly, institutions that have already obtained accreditation - if they want to increase their seat capacity or upgrade their facilities - will also be able to submit their applications through this portal.
This digital platform will not only simplify the administrative process but also play a crucial role in ensuring the standards of quality. However, there will be no compromise on quality.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Department Secretary Mr Lokesh Kumar Singh said that the process of recognizing nursing institutions - which was earlier based on paper proceedings - has now been digitized.
This will not only bring improvement in quality but also increase transparency. The function was attended by Mr Lokesh Kumar Singh (Secretary, Health Department), Mr Amit Kumar Pandey (Executive Director, State Health Society), Ms Anupma Singh (Joint Secretary, Health Department), Mr Amitabh Singh (OSD to Minister), Mr Srinand Rai (OSD, Health Department), Ms Rekha-may Singh, MDC, MDC, MDC Verma (Registrar, BNRSC), Mr Rajesh Kumar (Administrative Officer, State Health Society), and Mr Devendra Khandel (Gates Foundation), among other health officials.