Nursing council probes viral cultural day videos
The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched an official inquiry into 'inappropriate videos' that surfaced on social media following a cultural day ceremony at four private nursing colleges in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The inquiry committee is set to complete its investigation and submit a report to the provincial government within 14 days.
According to sources, the Pakistan Nursing Council has issued an official letter to Dir College of Nursing (Lower Dir), Ismail College of Nursing (Swat), Malakand Nursing College (Swat), and Eagle College of Nursing (Swat).
The letter states that cultural day was celebrated as part of extracurricular activities at these institutions, but certain 'objectionable' video clips from the event have gone viral on social media. The Pakistan Nursing Council has taken strict notice of these 'inappropriate' videos.
Furthermore, the letter asserts that hosting such events in educational institutions is unethical and inappropriate.
"Such activities not only tarnish the reputation of the institution but also discourage parents from sending their daughters to educational institutions. Therefore, an official inquiry has been initiated under the Pakistan Nursing Council Act to investigate the matter. The committee will submit its report to the council within 14 days," the letter states.
The inquiry committee, operating under the Pakistan Nursing Council Professional Code of Conduct Regulation 2024 and the Pakistan Nursing Council Act 1973, will also review the registration status of these colleges.
The colleges have been directed to coordinate with the inquiry committee regarding scheduling and other necessary arrangements.
Additionally, the Nursing Council has informed the Health Department about the matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Business Recorder
ILO holds webinar to mark International Nurses' Day: Need for promoting gender-responsive healthcare systems stressed
ISLAMABAD: The International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director to Pakistan, Geir Tonstol, Monday, highlighting the serious gap in Pakistan's nurse-to-population ratio of just 0.5 per 1,000, called for greater investment and policy reforms to address workforce shortages and promote gender-responsive healthcare systems. The ILO director said this while addressing at a webinar titled, 'Decent Work for Nurses – Investing in Safety and Economic Growth,' organised by ILO to mark the International Nurses Day 2025. The event brought together representatives from key institutions including the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Tonstol paid tribute to nurses as the backbone of the healthcare system and champions of the care economy. He emphasised that decent work for nurses must include fair pay, safe and respectful workplaces, social protection, career growth, and the right to freedom of association. Tonstol also highlighted ILO's contributions through the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme in Pakistan and reaffirmed the organization's support to the Government of Pakistan in the ratification of ILO Convention 149. Musarrat Rani, Midwifery Association Pakistan, shed light on the multiple challenges nurses face in Pakistan—including high turnover, poor working conditions, and gender-based barriers to leadership. She said that migration of the workforce due to burn out and lack of support has led to a shortage of 1.3 million nurses in the country. She appreciated the initiative of the implementation of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Policy Framework (2023–2035) and recent reforms under the PNMC Act and called for stronger partnerships with organizations like the ILO, more budgetary support for the capacity building of nurses, and the empowerment of professional associations to safeguard the future of the profession. Dr Sabeen Afzal, Director Regulations Health Ministry, presented the government's vision to close the nursing workforce gap and improve healthcare delivery. She reported a 29 percent increase in nursing institutions and growing youth interest in the profession. Yet, she acknowledged persistent issues, including faculty shortages, weak quality assurance, and urban-centric deployment. Dr Afzal highlighted that the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Policy Framework (2023–2035) is a strategic response to these challenges, focusing on four key pillars: governance and regulation, education and training, labour market dynamics, and quality assurance. She also shared the Ministry's Enhancement Roadmap, which includes expanding nursing education infrastructure, introducing evening shifts, offering more scholarships, and enabling international employment through Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and The Netherlands, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) preparation, and targeted training. Maren Hopfe, technical officer, health service sector from ILO Geneva, provided an overview of key international labour standards relevant to the nursing sector. She highlighted the importance of the Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No 149)and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No 190)in healthcare settings and promoted the ratification of both conventions to strengthen national frameworks that uphold workers' rights, ensure safe and decent working conditions, and protect health and care workers against violence and harassment. Rabia Razzaque, Senior Programme Officer at ILO Pakistan presented the findings of a legal gap analysis comparing Pakistan's laws with ILO Convention 149, which was conducted with the support of the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme. She noted that while the new nursing policy incorporates some articles of the convention, existing frameworks are fragmented and do not sufficiently cover private sector or voluntary nursing roles. She emphasized the need for a unified, inclusive policy that ensures fair working conditions, professional development, and collective bargaining rights for nurses aligned with international labour standards. Rabia Razzaque also advocated for the integration of occupational safety and health (OSH) protections, especially given the increased risks faced by nurses during health emergencies like COVID-19, emphasising that a safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Concluding the session, Raja Shahroze Abbas (MOPHRD) reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to advancing decent work for nurses, both domestically and abroad. The representative confirmed that the ratification of Convention 149 is a priority and that stakeholder consultations will be launched. Updates were also shared on efforts to align nursing education with international standards, develop targeted certification pathways with National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and map international labour markets to facilitate safe and structured migration through the Overseas Employment Corporation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
08-05-2025
- Express Tribune
PNMC at odds with health ministry
The Federal Ministry of Health and the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) are embroiled in a tug-of-war over various issues. The Acting Secretary of the PNMC has challenged the Ministry's call for an extraordinary meeting of the Council in the Islamabad High Court. The court issued a stay order on the Council's meeting. According to sources, there is an ongoing dispute between the PNMC and the Ministry of Health over several issues. In this context, the Ministry had called an extraordinary meeting of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council on May 3, during which the principal of PIMS Nursing College, Khairun Nisa, was assigned additional charge as Secretary of the PNMC. The Secretary of PNMC, through advocate Taimur Aslam, argued in court that under the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Act 1973-2023, the President of the Council has the authority to call Council meetings. The petition further stated that the PNMC is an autonomous body, and the federal government does not have the authority to interfere in its affairs. The court accepted the petition for hearing, issued notices to the relevant parties, and adjourned further proceedings until May 30. It also issued an injunction to halt the implementation of the office memorandum from May 3. Meanwhile, sources have revealed that a major point of contention is the issue of the Council President's degree, which has led to a case being registered with the FIA.
Express Tribune
06-04-2025
- Express Tribune
A legacy of care and leadership
The following is an excerpt from the book Game Changer: The story of Yasmin Amarsi & the Profession of Nursing in Pakistan. The author is a senior journalist with over 26 years of experience and former editor of The Express Tribune. He previously served as Director of the Centre for Excellence in Journalism at IBA, and has also been associated with The News, Dawn and AAJ News. According to the State of the World's Nursing Report 2020, Pakistan faces a shortfall of one million health workers, including nurses. It was to address this shortfall that the government launched the Nursing Now Movement for which then President Arif Alvi, himself from the medical profession, invited over 200 nurses for a meeting in 2018. It was decided to discontinue diploma programs for nurses and focus instead on degree programs to help raise the standard of the profession as well as to be at par with international benchmarking. In the same year, the government launched its National Human Resources for Health Vision for 2030 aimed at developing the skills of the health workforce, particularly of nursing staff. The year 2019 was declared as the Year of Nursing in Pakistan. Big promises were made, including a proposal to set up a nursing university to provide training to 25,000 students every year. However, the promised nursing university is yet to materialize due to a lack of funds and interest from the relevant quarters. Given her prolonged career and her liaison with government agencies, Dr. Amarsi feels one of the reasons the nursing profession is neglected is because, historically, there has been a lack of representation of nurses on committees at the government level. It was only a few years ago that a task force, formed to look into the health sector, included three senior nurses. There is some optimism from the fact that even if the government's efforts have been lukewarm, other stakeholders in the profession are working on improving standards. The Pakistan Nurses Federation, an organization that focuses on the welfare of nurses in Pakistan, helped train several leaders in nursing, which in turn improved membership within the federation. The Federation is considered a prestigious body because the founding leaders of the country, such as Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan, took an active interest in it. Similarly, the Pakistan Nursing Council, the regulatory body of the profession in Pakistan, helps standardize nursing education in the country, such as establishing three nursing cadres: Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife and Lady Health Visitor. It also develops the nursing curriculum, conducts examinations, and registers nurses. Most importantly, it licenses nurses to practice professionally. After many years of being led by non-nursing staff, the Pakistan Nursing Council succeeded in having a nurse become its president. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, she was a graduate of AKU-SON. Though a remarkable achievement, the Council still faces criticism for having non-professionals in key decision-making roles. The unfortunate reality is that the medical profession in Pakistan has more doctors than nurses. It has one of the poorest ratios of doctors to nurses and midwives – there is only one nurse for every two doctors. Compare this to the global trend, which requires four nurses for every doctor, and it becomes clear that Pakistan desperately needs more nurses entering the profession. Yet, it is the number of doctors that continues to rise. Between 1980 and 2017, the average increase in the number of male and female doctors per year had nearly doubled and quintupled, from 2,810 male and 976 female doctors to 5,313 and 5,008, respectively. Most families push their children – both sons and daughters -- to become doctors, instead of nurses. There is a widespread belief that doctors earn higher salaries and are more respected as compared to nurses. This is why, until very recently, the nursing profession was reserved for those students who could not meet the entry requirements for medical school or those who could not afford the tuition fees. But Dr. Amarsi finds hope in how the situation is changing. Not only are more women enrolling in nursing, but men are also enrolling in nursing schools. This is significant given that it was not until 1967 that men were allowed into the nursing profession. Initially, men could only work as nurses in the operation theatres but, over the years, they have been allowed into different wards. According to one estimate, the number of male nurses is almost the same as female nurses in Pakistan today. One reason why Dr. Amarsi believes that nursing is becoming an attractive choice for students is because of the high demand for these professionals abroad. Immigration and job prospects are brighter for nurses as compared to many other professions and easier than for doctors. As a result, there has been an increase in nursing schools in Pakistan. While she is happy that the public image of nurses has come a long way, she warns that, although nursing schools are mushrooming, the standard of the educational institution imparting education and teaching on offer is questionable. Her efforts for nursing may continue as she now feels the need is to ensure the profession not only remains acceptable but also credible. It would be apt here to quote how much of a powerhouse Dr. Yasmin Amarsi is seen as by her colleagues. As put by Director for Health at the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Dr. Gijs Walraven: "Dr. Amarsi is the most powerful advocate for the profession of nursing I have ever met. And she does this in her own humbling and charming manner, grounded in her decades of experience as a nursing professional, based on evidence and informed by her learning as a senior academic in different settings and environments.' It is in teaching and interacting with students that Dr. Yasmin Amarsi finds her true sense of fulfillment. Despite no longer holding an official position, she has requested to be included in a few teaching sessions, even if her name does not appear on the official roster. This stems from her deep satisfaction in sharing knowledge, guiding students, and witnessing their growth. Dr. Amarsi, whose dream was to become a doctor but opted for nursing as a career due to the closure of colleges and political strikes in 1968-69, has no regrets whatsoever and never once looked back. On the contrary in an interview she gave after joining AKU-SON, she stated 'I am proud to be a nurse.' To date, after fifty years, she maintains the same views. The motivation and the driving force behind all the achievements and milestones Dr. Amarsi derived from was her sincere desire to help people and elevate the image of the nursing profession in Pakistan. As Dr. Amarsi's story comes to a close, her legacy as an exceptional educator and compassionate mentor will continue to inspire generations of students and future educators, leaving an indelible mark on the world of nursing education.
