KATHMANDU, Sept 6: The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) published the results of an entrance test conducted on August 26 for admissions to the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) Nursing course in the academic session of 2023/24. The results show 12,000 students had passed the entrance test, proving their eligibility for admission.

Under CTEVT, only 1,840 students can study PCL Nursing in Nepal each year. Despite passing the entrance exam, 10,160 students are now facing the dilemma of where to pursue their studies due to the limited number of seats. Such a situation has arrived because of the government’s policy, they say.

The Medical Education Commission has made it mandatory for a nursing college to run a hospital with a capacity of at least 100 beds. As 73 colleges were closed because of failing to meet this requirement, 3,700 seats for the PCL nursing course were reduced, said Khagendra Adhikari, vice chairperson of the CTEVT. According to him, 10,000 students with the potential and qualifications are waiting for their turn to study nursing due to unreasonable government policies.

The conclusion of the CTEVT is that after the government implemented stricter operating standards for educational institutions that provide medical education, including nursing, students who want to study nursing have to leave this field.

“More than 10,000 students who have passed the entrance exam conducted for admission in the current academic session could not be admitted. Due to the unreasonable policy of the Medical Education Commission, students with ability and qualifications have either had to go abroad or have to change subjects,” said Adhikari.

According to him, either the government should either open nursing colleges and provide nursing education to these students who want to study nursing or liberalize the standards and allow private colleges to teach them. Otherwise, it will be difficult to stop the exodus of students from the country. He said that due to the government's wrong policy, students could not study nursing in colleges near their homes and have started going to Indian colleges. "What kind of government policy is this that provides equivalence to students who have studied nursing in substandard colleges in India after they return home?" he questioned.

Students, parents, private college owners and other stakeholders have accused the government of playing a game to put an end to health education by not allowing those who are qualified and capable to study nursing education within the country.

Founder of Iwamura Memorial College of Health Science, Sanumaya Khadka said that although there are 40 seats for nursing studies at Iwamura Memorial College of Health Sciences in Sallaghari, Bhaktapur, 275 applications have been received for admission. According to her, due to the unreasonable policy of the government, even students who have passed the entrance exam cannot study nursing.

"The 73 colleges that were closed were conducting teaching and learning in collaboration with other hospitals. Iwamura Memorial College has a 100-bed hospital but there are not enough patients. There is no provision of ENT. For this, I also have to collaborate with other hospitals," she said. "The provision of a hospital of 100 beds, which is mandatory for a college to run nursing programs, is unjustified."

The management of these colleges rue that the government’s unreasonable policy that led to the closure of a total of 73 nursing colleges which were conducting health education programs has put a domestic investment of Rs 15 billion at risk. To take advantage of this situation, the neighboring country India has added 157 colleges in the border areas to teach health education programs in the current academic session. The founder of Samata Shiksha Niketan, Uttam Sanjel, said that the college followed CTEVT's health education programs.

Sanjel, who has stepped ahead with the aim of providing nursing education at a cost of Rs 100 with the aim of making nursing education available to all, is waiting for the government permission after completing all criteria and requirements. "The government that closes colleges that do not have 100-bed hospitals need not ask for applications for conducting nursing classes from colleges that have 100 beds and fulfill all other criteria," said Sanjel, "I have opened a 100-bed Samata Hospital in Bauddha, Kathmandu. We have patients as well. If our college gets permission to conduct a health education program, we will provide quality education,” he said.

He said that a big question arises as to who is running the government when it does not allow even colleges with 100-bed hospitals to teach nursing.

Indian universities are allowed to collaborate with hospitals in Nepal

It has been found that the government, which ordered the closure of 73 nursing colleges established with domestic investment, has given approval to Indian universities to conduct internships in collaboration with hospitals in Nepal.

Om Sterling Global University in Hisar, Haryana, has entered into an agreement with Maya Metro Hospital Pvt Ltd located in Dhangadhi sub-metropolis to provide practical training to the students who have studied health education in its affiliated colleges. This university has created a curriculum following the program of CTEVT. Nirmal Sapkota, coordinator of Medical Education Concerns Struggle Committee, says that this policy of the government is objectionable.

According to the National Medical Education Act, 2075 BS, since the establishment of the Medical Education Commission, 228 educational institutions providing medical education under the CTEVT have been closed, said Sapkota, the coordinator of the Struggle Committee.

"As many as 137 pre-diploma health colleges, 73 diploma (staff nurse), 10 bachelor's (BN) colleges and 8 BSc nursing colleges have been closed, sinking private sector investment worth Ra 15 billion," He said, "With the closure of these educational institution, 930 students at the pre-diploma level, 290 at the diploma level and 116 at the graduate level have lost the opportunity to study on scholarships for three years."

Sapkota said that as Joint Secretary Kamal Pokharel, who is the chief of the Technical and Vocational Education Division at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said that since the term of office of CTEVT Member Secretary Jeeb Narayan Kafle and Vice Chairman of Medical Education Commission Shri Krishna Giri has expired, the process has been delayed to find a solution. "The process for the selection of new officials in both bodies has already started," he said, "The ministry is facilitating and discussing the solution to the problem." The ministry will take initiatives and resolve the problem soon.

The Medical Education Concerns Struggle Committee has been holding a sit-in at Maitighar Mandala for 25 days, demanding that CTEVT-approved health education programs be conducted in collaboration with various hospitals, and students should be allowed to enroll in the 73 colleges that were closed this year. The committee organized a march with empty plates against the National Medical Commission and CTEVT on Tuesday.

 
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