Press Release: Nursing Midwifery Stakeholders Across Pakistan Make Grand Alliance against Merger of their Council

Press Release

The national Icons, Deans, Federations Leaders across Pakistan expressed extreme dismay over proposed merger of Pakistan Nursing & Midwifery Council(PNMC) with Allied Health Professional Council(AHPC) in the name of the rightsizing move of the Federal Government. The academia and clinical leaders across the country expressed strong resentment against the uncalled for merger since Councils do not get funds from government kitties but manage their routine buisness through self-generated revenues. Further their employees are a few, thus both reasons i.e "financial burden on budget and over employment" quoted reasons for rightsizing do not apply on both Councils. 

The leaders constituted "Grand Alliance Against Merger of Nurse-Midwifery Council (GAAM)" led by Dr. Rafat Jan, Associate Dean Nursing AKU, & President Midwifery Association of Pakistan (MAP), Professor Raisa Gul, Dean of Nursing Shafa-TMU, Recipient State Award of Pride of Performance and Ms Lubna Ghazal, a Ph.D scholar in Nursing. The alliance (GAAM) and its goals are endorsed by Professor Salimah Valani (Dean of Nursing AKU) Professor Karamaliani (ExDean AKU &Global Icon of Nurses, Professor Parvin Rahman of Sheffield Uni & President Pak-British Nurses Diaspora London) and many academia of global credentials along with leaders of various Associations and Federations: the Pakistan Nurses Federation (PNF), Pakistan Young Nurses Association, Provincial Nurses Associations Punjab, Sindh, KPk, Balochistan, and AJK and GB. 

The leaders wrote letters to President, Prime Minister, the Rightsizing Committee and Minister and Secretary of Ministry of National Health apprising them of serious detrimental repercussions of this uncalled for merger not only on professionals of both Councils but to the national interests of the country by affecting the remittances.

The Alliance leaders requested all high government functionaries for a hearing on the merger. The call for protest campaign was dropped till the response of the government. The following are salient reasons prescribed in the letter against the proposed merger in national and global context :- 

-The PNMC is recognized by International Nursing Council of Nurses (ICN) and International Confederation of Midwifery (ICM) eventually by World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN subsidiaries as "statuary body" of nurses and midwives in Pakistan. It is pertinent to underline that ICN and ICM accept only those councils as their members that have their distinct regulatory bodies. Thus, the proposed merger could hamper various financial and technical assistance programs that flow to our country through global agencies if Pakistan loses its distinct Council for Nurses and Midwifery

-In the eventuality of the proposed merger, there could be serious barriers for our nursing workforce that goes abroad for employment with licensure of a diluted body. More importantly, this nursing workforce sends remittances that are crucial in the face of financial constraints Pakistan faces today. In addition, this merger could compel the INC and ICM to suspend recognition which might hamper the flow of assistance and our nurses abroad as well.

-Many NGOs and INGOs working to achieve specific health related SDGs, extend financial and technical support through PNMC being a women-led statuary body and that, this merger will further dilute women empowerment and equitable gender participation whatsoever remains today. Since PNMC has already been under effective influence of non nursing persons.

-We suppose and emphasize that all major political parties in the government and opposition having manifestos pledging for increased opportunities for women, will oppose this merger once they acknowledge its undesired repercussions.

-The PNMC is managed through its own collected revenues having no financial burden on the government kitty and also, it has fewer employees to conduct its business since 1973 when it was established. Thus, downsizing and right sizing drive of PNMC is not necessarily to serve the desired purpose. However, we extend our full support to chalk out strategy for better governance in the PNMC that is definitely need of the hour.

-Even the representatives of AHPC vehemently oppose this merger more or less on the same grounds having their distinct identity and purposes. Thus, this merger of unwilling partners will sow the seeds of antagonism between opposing groups affecting efficiency and efficacy of the merged statuary Council.