By Dr. Sania Khera
Nursing is not merely a profession—it is the backbone of any robust healthcare system. In Pakistan, when a life hangs in the balance, it is often a trained nurse who is the first to respond at the patient’s bedside. Globally, Pakistani nurses are in high demand, with international reports estimating a shortfall of over 2.5 million trained nurses in the global market. At home, the shortage is equally alarming, with public and private hospitals grappling with an acute dearth of qualified nursing staff.
In such a context—where Pakistan urgently needs to stabilize its economy and create employment opportunities—private nursing colleges have stepped up, investing their own capital to produce skilled healthcare professionals. These institutions are not only supporting the country’s health infrastructure but also playing a critical role in economic development through workforce training and export potential.
Yet, the sector is under siege. A prolonged turf war between the Federal Ministry of National Health Services and the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) has paralyzed progress and pushed the nursing education sector to the edge of collapse.
For years, private nursing college owners have operated in an environment of uncertainty and disillusionment. Some institutions have been waiting over two years for inspections, while others—despite having completed all formalities—have yet to receive enrollment or registration letters. When approached, the Ministry claims it is still in the process of legislating reforms, while the Council insists on its autonomy, saying it does not take directions from the Ministry. This bureaucratic blame game has left institutions and students caught in limbo.
Perhaps most disheartening is the hostile and opaque environment that now characterizes the Pakistan Nursing Council. College administrators often avoid visiting the Council altogether, as its doors feel metaphorically—and sometimes literally—closed to private stakeholders. There is no transparency, no communication, and no accountability. Insiders speak of a powerful lobby operating within the Council, deliberately complicating procedures to serve vested interests.
At present, the Council is being run under a stay order, with key leadership positions occupied on an ad hoc basis. Individuals with no relevant qualifications—some of whom were previously computer operators—have been placed in key decision-making roles. These same individuals may be found holding different high-level titles every few months—Director one day, Administrator the next. The entire administrative and regulatory framework has disintegrated into chaos.
This disarray is not only undermining the reputation of private nursing colleges—it is actively eroding the quality and credibility of nursing education in Pakistan. Dozens of institutions are on the brink of closure, while thousands of students are left in academic limbo. The long-term consequences are dire: our hospitals will be left without trained staff, and our capacity to meet international demand for healthcare professionals will vanish.
We earnestly appeal to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate and decisive action. We urge the formation of an independent, high-level inquiry commission to investigate the mismanagement within the PNMC and to put an end to the institutional infighting. A clear, transparent, and practical regulatory framework must be established—one that facilitates rather than obstructs the growth of the nursing education sector.
The survival of private nursing colleges is not a private issue—it is a national one. It concerns our public health, our export potential, our employment generation, and our social development. If we allow these institutions to collapse, the cost will be borne not just by college owners and students, but by the nation as a whole.
The writer is President of Pakistan Private Nursing Colleges Federation.
