Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has set a target of providing overseas employment to 500 nurses and ward boys during the financial year 2027-28, emphasising skill development and the availability of trained medical personnel in hospitals.
Chairing a meeting of the Empowered Committee on nursing courses in private universities, Bardhan directed officials to explore employment opportunities in West Asia, Western Europe, Estonia and Gulf countries. He also stressed the need to train candidates in accordance with international standards, including language proficiency and other eligibility requirements.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to prepare a database of nursing and paramedical staff, detailing their qualifications, specialisations and skills, to assess the current and future requirements of healthcare institutions.
The committee was informed that 73 applications had been received for conducting nursing courses in private universities. Following scrutiny, six applications were shortlisted for consideration. Of these, five were found eligible, while the remaining application was directed to be placed before the committee at its next meeting.
Bardhan also instructed officials to ensure strict compliance with prescribed standards for nursing education and staffing norms in private hospitals, including the deployment of nurses and ward boys as per the prescribed staff-to-bed requirements.
Secretary Vinay Shankar, Additional Secretary Vijay Kumar Jogdande, Rohit Meena, Navneet Pandey and other departmental officials attended the meeting.
