Nursing Education in Sindh Set for Transformation with ADB Partnership

By Shabbir Hussain Jatial 
A strategically important consultative meeting between government of Sindh and Asian Development Bank was held today under the chairpersonship of Minister for Health & Social Welfare Dr. Ezra Fazal Pechu. The Bank delegation was headed by country head of Asian Development Bank.


Objectives and goals were set by mutual agreement to develop nursing midwifery and paramedical workforce according to global advancements. According to the discussions an understanding was reached for providing soft loans and grants to establish or equip already running institutes by providing better infrastructure and teaching learning facilities to produce competitive nursing, midwifery and paramedical human resources at par with global standards. 

During the discourse the Provincial Health Minister was assisted by Director Development Dr Debir Ahmad Khan, Director Nursing Sindh, Director Nursing Dow University, Director Paramedical Sindh and Indus University of Health Sciences, and various principals of nursing colleges. While the country head of the Asian Development Bank was assisted by six member delegates of bank's technocrats.

In the two-hour meeting, the need parameters of all nursing and paramedical colleges were measured and certain priorities were agreed in the first phase of consultation.

In the coming two days' stay in the province, the ADB delegation will also conduct field visits of some institutes and also to consult with top officials of the Ministry of Finance to explore feasibility plans and financial arrangements both by ADB and provincial government for investment in health workforce development.

During the meeting, the delegates and the department reached a mutual understandingon the construction of nursing and paramedical institutions according to the modern requirements and to increase the number of yearly inductions. The understanding is to be finalized in the next meeting in the coming month.

 It is pertinent to remember that Asian Development has already provided such assistance in all provinces including Sindh which became a success story. In this meeting, it was agreed to prioritize and provide post-diploma requirements in transformed in provinces 24 public sector degree nursing colleges.

It was also mutually agreed that a few such institutions should be built as per the modern global requirements, and continuous efforts should be made to bring more institutions up to their standard by making them an ideal model to replicate.

The delegation of the bank appreciated the provincial health minister's keen interest and preparedness on this important agenda. Her inputs on training and education and to modify curricula as climate sensitive keeping in view the environmental changes. The country head expressed the possibility of grants and technical support to modify the changes necessitated by climate challenges impending ahead.

 While appreciating the Minister's understanding of the matter, cooperative strategy and decision-making, the delegates said that they strongly foresee an agreement to be reached soon and that the Sindh government can become an example for the sister provinces in making a successful strategy for health workforce development.