Empowering Nurses in Pakistan: PNMC Act 2023 Reviewed by Experts

Updates By Madam Lubna Ghazal and Sir Shabbir Hussain Jathial

The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) Amendment Act 2023 is undergoing critical appraisal through consultative meetings being held under the auspices of the Pakistan Nursing Federation (PNF). The meetings are being attended by nurse leaders from across Pakistan, who are actively contributing towards strengthening the autonomy of the PNMC as a regulatory body for nursing and midwifery professions in the country.

The third consultative meeting was conducted in Multan under the leadership of Madam Nighat Durrani, and hosted by Madam Surriya Shahnaz, President of PNA Punjab. Nurse leaders from Southern Punjab attended the meeting, which was facilitated by Mr. Hassan Kansi and Madam Zahida Amjad. The group appraised the PNMC Amendment Act 2023 in comparison to the 1973 Act and discussed ways to strengthen the PNMC and its autonomy.

Similarly, the second consultative meeting was held in Lahore on 18th February 2023, where nurse leaders across Lahore, and a few from KPK, attended the session and contributed towards strengthening the PNMC Amendment Act 2023. It was good to see that the Young Nurses Association (YNA) also contributed well to the session. The group discussed and supported several amendments, including the autonomy of PNMC as a regulatory body, the membership of midwives, and the addition of philanthropist/finance/legal professionals as voluntary/non-voting/non-paying members

The following amendments were discussed in detail:

1. PNMC as an autonomous body and not to be ruled by federal/provincial or prime minister-pushed membership
2. The membership of midwives was supported well, with no compromise on that
3. Membership for philanthropists/finance and legal professionals was accepted as voluntary/non-voting/non-paying. The group also suggested looking at other councils to see the nature of their involvement
4. Adding the role of midwives to reduce maternal death by administering life-saving drugs - the group also emphasized their extensive training to develop this competence
5. It was appreciated to push for CNS and Advanced Practice Nurse curriculum, but the group also shared their grievances that after post RM BSN, due to no positions, they are deployed in general practice areas
6. The group pushed to add the following degrees: 4-year BScM, Post Doc
7. Regarding the length of the PhD programme, it was suggested to propose 3-7 years
8. The examination at the end of BScN and BScM - as taken by PNC - should be continued

The meeting was led by Madam Nighat Durrani, Madam Zahida, and Mr. Kasi, who led the group meetings with an inclusive approach. The discussions were held with the aim of developing a strong justification for future amendments, and the group plans to document all the concerning amendments and propose counter amendments from the PNF platform and submit them to PN&MC for future amendments.

The first consultative meeting to deliberate on the PN&MC Act and its impact was held at Regalia under the auspices of the Pakistan Nursing Federation (PNF). The meeting was attended by nurse leaders from each province, including the public and private sectors.


The meeting was called to order by Madam Nighat Durrani, the PNF president, followed by an introduction and meeting objectives by Mr. Hassan Kasi. The group aimed to review the amended act 2023 in comparison to the 1973 act. The group discussed the strengths and areas for improvement in the current act and its implications for the nursing and midwifery profession.

Madam Faria and Mr. Kasi facilitated the group by presenting the ACT 2023 and raised concerns that required immediate attention by the nursing and midwifery leaders for future amendments. Madam Nighat Durrani, PNF president, and Dr. Sobia Somroo, the then president of Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), were asked for their advice to develop strong justification for future amendments.

The proceeding was recorded by Mr. Ishtiaq, an AP at Shifa College of Nursing, and Ms. Lubna Ghazal. The group documented all the concerning amendments and proposed counter amendments from the PNF platform to submit to PN&MC for future amendments.

At the end of the meeting, Madam Zahida, the PNF chapter Islamabad/Pindi, presented a vote of thanks to the PNF leadership, Dr. Sobia, and members who attended the consultative forum for their inputs.

Overall, the consultative meetings aim to strengthen the nursing and midwifery professions in Pakistan by reviewing the PNMC Amendment Act 2023 and proposing amendments that align with the needs of the profession. These meetings demonstrate the commitment of nurse leaders to work together to improve the quality of care provided by nurses and midwives in the country.