Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Haryana to constitute Nurses and Nurse Midwives Council

Chandigarh, Jan 3
The Haryana Government today decided to constitute Haryana State Nurses and Nurse Midwives Council to look after the admission, curriculum, examination and registration process associated with the nursing education. The Council will work under the overall supervision of the Department of Medical Education and Research as is the case in other States including Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
          The Haryana Cabinet, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Mr Manohar Lal here today, approved the draft of Haryana State Nurses and Nurse Midwives Council Bill, 2017. The Council will replace the existing Haryana Nurses Registration Council (HNRC) and would be the sole body governing the field of nursing education in the State. also, the Punjab Nurses Registration Act, 1932 as applicable to the State of Haryana shall stand repealed.
          The Director General or Director, Medical Education and Research Department will be the ex-officio President of the Council and Additional Director will be the ex-officio Vice President. Its members would include a representative or nominee of the Director General Health Services having experience in the field of Nursing; Head of the Departments or Professor of Gynaecology, PGIMS, Rohtak; Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal; Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar; Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women, Sonepat; Principal, Government College of Nursing, Pt. B.D.S. University of Health Sciences, Rohtak and Registrar of the Council shall be its Member Secretary.
          Six members of the Council would be nominated by the Government of whom, three would be among the Principals or Heads of Departments of the concerned Government Nursing Institutions; two members from the faculty of the Private Nursing Institutions in Haryana and one eminent Nursing Educationist in the State.
          The term of the office of the members of the Council, other than the ex-officio members shall be three years. An outgoing member shall be eligible for re-nomination, if otherwise qualified. The headquarters of the Council will be at Panchkula.
          The Council shall meet at least once in a calendar year and may also meet as many times as necessary in a year to transact its business. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business at a meeting shall be one-third of the total number of members including the President.
          The Council may constitute an Executive Committee and such other Committees from among its members as may be necessary for performing such functions as provided by regulations. The Executive Committee shall consist of President and Vice President who shall be ex-officio members and five members chosen by the Council from among themselves, one of whom shall be a representative of the Association of Management. The Executive Committee shall discharge such duties as may be conferred or imposed upon it by any regulation which may be made in this behalf. Also, the Council may constitute Sub Committees from among its members for such purposes as it considers necessary.
          The Government may, by an official notification, appoint a Registrar of the Council and the Committees appointed under this Bill. The Registrar shall be responsible for the performance of day-to-day affairs of the Council and such other functions as may be assigned by the Council from time to time.
          There shall be separate registers, electronic and manual, for nurses, midwives and auxiliary nurses-midwives and health visitors declared as such by the Government.
          The Council shall fix the criteria for establishment of nursing institutes; to recognize nursing institutions and withdraw the recognition granted to nursing institutions. It will also fix the criteria to recognize degrees or diplomas or certificates of nursing and also frame regulations, delegate powers to the Executive Committee; conduct inspection of nursing institutions and also fix fee to be levied and revision thereon from time to time. It will also fix criteria to conduct admissions to various nursing institutions and prescribe such standards, facilities, syllabi, entry criteria including common entrance test as may be deemed necessary to maintain proper standards in the nursing course. It will also formulate uniform syllabi, course content, curricula and method of examinations for both theory, practical and internal examinations and its revision from time to time for all nursing courses throughout the State, with the approval of the Indian Nursing Council.
          The Council will also fix the educational qualifications of teaching staff for all diploma and certificate courses. It will conduct common examinations for both theory and practical for all the nursing courses in the State, except those conducted by other statutory authorities. It will award diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions under a common seal and would also collect the fee for theory and practical examinations. It will not only periodically review the nursing courses, syllabi, educational standards for admissions, but would also take appropriate follow up measures like recommendations for dispensing of outdated courses, update courses of introduction of new courses with reference to emerging areas of manpower requirements.
          The Council will de-recognise any institution, if any institution is found indulging in malpractice with reference to the process of examination including the internal assessment marks and irregularities in attendance.
          The Council shall be competent to make bye-laws from time to time consistent with aims and objectives. However, it shall be lawful for the government to cancel or amend any bye-law by notification.
          In case of registration of nursing professionals, nurses, nurse-midwives who have undergone the course of training prescribed by the Council and have passed the prescribed examination held by the Council and fulfill such further conditions shall be entitled to be registered. Nurses, nurse-midwives holding corresponding certificate issued by authorities in other States in India and abroad, if such certificates are recognized by the Indian Nursing Council, shall also be eligible for registration. Every registration shall be valid for five years and will have to be renewed before the end of the fifth year.
          In case of recognition of nursing educational and training institutions, no person or entity shall establish a nursing institute or conduct any nursing course for preparing students to acquire any recognized qualification, without the prior recognition of the Council. However, if any institution does not conform to the standards fixed by the Council, temporary recognition may be granted subject to the condition that the facilities in accordance with the standards fixed by the Council shall be provided within a period to be fixed by the Council from the date of grant of temporary recognition. If this condition is not fulfilled, the temporary recognition will be withdrawn forthwith.
          The Council may with the approval of the Government appoint either on regular or on ad-hoc basis such number of officers as it may deem necessary, inspect any institution for granting recognition.
          All fee received and all income such as rent and profits derived from properties and funds vested in the Council, all grants and loans received from the Government, all endowments and donations and all other miscellaneous receipts of the Council shall form its fund. The accounts of the Council as certified by the Auditor shall be forwarded annually to the Government.
          No person other than those registered under this Bill, would practice as a nurse, midwife, auxiliary nurse midwife or health visitor. Those acting in contravention of this provision, shall be punished. In case of first offence, it will be imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine which may extend to Rs 10,000. In case of second or subsequent offence, the guilty would face imprisonment for a term which may be extended to one year, but it shall not be less than three months and with fine of not less than Rs 20,000. It may be extended to Rs 50,000. Also, no dispensary, hospital, infirmary, lying-in-hospital, sanatorium, operation theatre, nursing home, blood bank, medical laboratory or other similar institution shall employ any person as a nursing professional unless such person is a nursing professional registered under this Bill. Those offending the provision shall be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs 25,000. All offences shall be triable by a Judicial Magistrate of First Class.

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