Budget 2023: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces setting up of 157 nursing colleges

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivers her fifth Budget.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Budget 2023 that 157 nursing colleges will be established by the government at core locations or places where 157 new medical colleges have been set up over the last 9 years by the government.

The Centre had recently also tied up with the Association of Healthcare Providers of India, a body of private hospitals, to impart better training to nurses.

The move for enhancing the quality of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, comes after the push earlier given by the government on raising MBBS and Post-Graduation (Medicine) seats in the country.

As a result, while the number of UG seats has increased by 72 percent -- from 51,348 before 2014 to 88,120 seats for the ongoing academic session, the number of PG seats, which also include DNB and CPS (diploma courses after MBBS for students other than MS and MD courses), has increased by 78 percent -- from 31,185 seats before 2014 to 55,595 seats.

Most of the new medical colleges have come up by upgrading existing district hospitals into teaching institutions.

Industry sources said that the announcement by the FM was a welcome development and shows the government’s commitment on improving quality of healthcare services in the country.