The Indian government has approved Rs 1,570 crore for the opening of 157 new nursing colleges, which will be completed within the next two years, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Nursing colleges aim to provide quality and affordable nursing education to increase the number of nursing professionals in the country.
These nursing colleges will be co-located with medical colleges to allow for optimal utilization of existing infrastructure, skill labs, clinical facilities, and faculty. The government has laid out detailed timelines for every stage of planning and execution to complete the project within two years.
Additionally, the Union Cabinet has approved a National Medical Devices Policy to boost domestic production and reduce imports of medical equipment. Mandaviya stated that the policy is expected to promote the domestic production of medical devices, and it is projected that the medical devices sector will grow from USD 11 billion to USD 50 billion in the next five years.
The government has already initiated the implementation of the PLI Scheme for medical devices and extended support for the setting up of four medical device parks in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
During the Cabinet briefing, Union Minister Anurag Thakur paid tribute to 10 DRG jawans and one driver who lost their lives in an IED attack by Naxals in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, earlier in the day. Tribute was also paid to Shiromani Akali Dal patron and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Tuesday.
