Sindh Nursing Bill seen as a threat to nursing education and training

Karachi: Central leaders of Sindh Nurses Action Joint Forum (SNAJF) on Tuesday showed their deep concern against the approval of Sindh Nursing Council Bill 2014 and announced that the nursing community under the banner of SNAJF would soon launch country-wide constitutional movement for cancellation of bill.

The press conference held at the Karachi Press Club was jointly addressed by prominent leaders of SNAJF including James Watt, Afshan Nazali, Qayyum Marwat, Asif Sarfarz, Abdul Mastan, Asghar Jogi, Fazal Wadood, Nasreen Gill, Madam Grace, Shazaib, Nisar Khokhar and Muhammad Ashraf.

Speakers said establishment of Sindh Nursing Council at provincial level was a preplanned conspiracy to destroy the nursing education and training in the province. They said that a joint platform of nurses from Karachi to Kashmore had been formed with name Sindh Nurses Action Joint Forum to fail the conspiracy hatched by vested interest group and vowed to accept death but never compromise on prestigious profession of nurses.

Ex-President Provincial Nurses Association (PNA) Karachi Division James Watt said Nursing Council Bill 2014 was approved in Sindh Assembly in haste and no any stakeholders had been taken onboard before tabling the bill.

He said Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) is the symbol of national dignity and prestige at international level as its degrees are recognized and respected worldwide. He said approval of bill regarding the establishment of Sindh Nursing Council from Sindh Assembly would be seen as a tantamount to destroy the nursing education.  

Central Executive Committee Member, Pakistan Nurses Federation, Qayyum Marwat said SNAJF in contact with various nursing associations to chalk out future strategy and future plan of action would be announced within 72 hours.

Central leader SNAJF Asif Sarfarz said nurses associations have not been taken onboard before tabling the Sindh Nursing Bill in assembly and said the decision would destroy the nursing education in the province. He said provincial government has failed to fulfill its responsibilities in the education sector as good educational institutions have been privatized in the province.

They appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to play his due role in helping and ensuring the survival of nursing education and training in Sindh province.