New Delhi: Several associations of nurses and midwives said the "poor" nurse-patient ratio is leading to increased workload and long working hours and demanded policy support to build a robust healthcare workforce in the country.
The associations which have launched a campaign -- '#NurseMidwife4Change' -- said nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare industry and their importance cannot be undermined.
The Indian Nursing Council, All India Government Nurses Federation, Trained Nurses Association of India, Society of Midwives-India (SOMI) and Jhpiego, a non-profit organisation for international health affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, are part of the year-old campaign.
At a recent meeting of campaign partners, the role of nurses and midwives and their contribution to India's healthcare system was highlighted.
"Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare industry and their importance cannot be undermined. Over last two decades, India has made significant progress in plugging the gaps in overall availability of nurses. Due to several concrete efforts by the government, the country witnessed doubling of nursing workforce from 0.8 nurses per 1,000 population in 2000 to 1.7 in 2020.