New Delhi, July 22: Member of Parliament from Odisha’s Cuttack Bhartruhari Mahtab on Tuesday urged the Central Government to abolish the existing ‘One Institution, One City, One Nursing College’ norm, in the Parliament Monsoon Session.

Describing the stipulations as outdated that is hindering the growth of nursing education and the development of a skilled healthcare workforce in the country.

Raising the issue through a matter of public importance in the Lok Sabha, Mahtab said India is witnessing an increasing demand for qualified nursing professionals to meet the expanding healthcare needs of its population.

Nurses, he said, are the backbone of the healthcare system, serving as the vital link between doctors and patients while playing a pivotal role in the delivery of quality healthcare.

He pointed out that the existing restriction on establishing nursing colleges has become a major impediment to the expansion of nursing education at a time when both government and private hospitals require a significantly larger pool of professionally trained nurses.

Mahtab noted that Parliament has already passed the Bill to replace the Indian Nursing Council with the National Nursing Commission, creating an opportune moment to review and repeal obsolete regulations governing nursing education.

He urged the Government to do away with the “One Institution, One City, One Nursing College” policy, stating that its removal would enable reputed educational institutions, societies and trusts to establish additional nursing colleges where adequate infrastructure and academic standards exist.

Such a move, he said, would substantially enhance the country's capacity to produce competent nursing professionals and strengthen India's healthcare delivery system.

Emphasising the urgent need for policy reforms in nursing education, Mahtab said removing the outdated restriction would not only expand educational opportunities but also help address the growing shortage of trained nurses across the country.