Staff crunch: KMC to set up Nursing Training School
Kolkata: To deal with shortage of nursing staff and create avenues for providing multi-specialty healthcare services to the citizens, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has planned to set up a Nursing Training School in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The civic body intends to set up such a nursing school at a G+IV storied ‘Training Hub and Exhibition cum Business Hub’ at 22, Sabji Bagan Lane. As part of the project, KMC’s 100-bedded hospital at Kidderpore will be used as the parent teaching hospital. The training school, based on Indian Nursing Council (INC) guidelines, will conduct courses such as general nursing and midwifery with annual student intake of approximately 60. An e-tender will be floated to choose the private partner. KMC’s role will be limited to providing the infrastructure and all other requisite logistics including manpower as well as permissions required for setting up a nursing school. The Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department has accorded approval and sanction of Rs 6,92,82,578 for the hub under ‘Karmatirtha’ scheme of the state.
The state’s Health department had accorded sanction of the 100-bedded facility for the KMC Hospital at Kidderpore. The private partner will be responsible for arranging accommodation for the hostel block with all basic amenities as per INC guidelines at its own cost. Following a provisional MoU with the KMC, the private partner needs to establish and develop the nursing school and commence courses within two years of signing such an MoU. Once INC gives its final approval, a definitive agreement will be signed for the same. The nursing school will have approximately 33 per cent KMC quota seats for students recommended by the civic body. Such students won’t have to pay the tuition fees (Rs 1,25,000 per annum). However, they will have to pay other necessary fees which include uniforms, examination, registration etc. They will also have to pay hostel fees if they avail such facilities. Other students will need to pay tuition fees of Rs 2 lakh per annum including hostel fees. It will be a three-year course. If during admission any seats under the purview of the private partner remains vacant, such seats will be converted into a KMC quota seat over and above the roughly 33 per cent reservation.
Mayor Firhad Hakim is learnt to have given approval for floating an e-tender. The proposals were also cleared in the MMIC meeting and are now awaiting the final consideration of KMC.
