Top regulatory body shuts down 50 illegal nursing colleges

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, a medical regulatory body has closed approximately 50 nursing colleges across the country due to non-compliance with the required criteria, declaring all admissions in these institutions “illegal.”

The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PMNC), the apex decision-making body, made this decision during its third session. It mandated the closure of 50 nursing institutes and colleges located throughout the country that failed to meet the prescribed criteria outlined in the rules.

According to reliable information obtained by Hum News, this decision was reached during a session held last month, presided over by Jawad Amin Khan, the President of the PMNC.

During inspections, it was discovered that these 50 institutes and colleges did not meet the necessary criteria, resulting in a ban on further admissions for degree programs or diplomas. Approximately 100 other institutions complied with the established policies, and the council subsequently issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to them, as stated in the council’s inspection minutes.

The banned institutions primarily lacked qualified faculty, proper infrastructure, laboratories, equipment, and other mandatory requirements.

The list of colleges declared illegal by the council includes 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12 in Punjab, and 11 in Sindh.

In KP, the prohibited nursing institutions include According to the council’s decision, the list of colleges declared illegal includes 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12 in Punjab and 11 in Sindh.

The list KP’s illegal nursing institutions consisted on Eagle College of Nursing, Swat, Rehman College of Nursing, Malakand, Aman Ullah Khan College of Nursing, Mansehra, Dilshad College of Nursing, Swat, Valley Heart Institute of Nursing, Swat, Ambassador College of Nursing, Peshawar, Peshawar College of Nursing, Peshawar, United College of Nursing, Swat, Zaib College of Nursing, Timergarh Lower Der, Fims College of Nursing, Malakand, Azam College of Nursing, Swat, Meret College of Nursing Lower Der, Bilal Institute of Nursing, Lower Der, Elizabeth College of Nursing, Mardan ,Hamdan Institute of Nursing, Swabi, Shergarh College of Nursing, Mardan, International College of Nursing, Peshawar, Elizabeth Rani College of Nursing and Allied Sciences, Charsada, Baki College of Nursing, Peshawar, National College of Nursing, Peshawar and Alshifa International College of Nursing, Hallmark College of Nursing, Peshawar is banned only to offer  degree programmes and to be continued for diploma education.

Senate panel grills officials over inaccurate list of nursing colleges

The unlawful colleges of Punjab are City College of Nursing Faisalabad, SMK College of Nursing Sheikhupura, Leads College of Nursing, Khushab, Layyah College of Nursing, Layyah, Peace College of Nursing, Faisalabad, Pakistan College of Nursing, Sahiwal, Burewala College of Nursing, Burewala, Ahmed College of Nursing, Pakpattan, Jinnah Institute of Medical Sciences, Sheikhupura and Sulbia Institute of Nursing, Lahore. Moreover, two others Siddique College of Nursing, Sheikhupura and SK Real College of Nursing, Lahore have been allowed to give admissions in diploma programmes only and restricted for degree programmes.

Sindh’s colleges being functioned against minimum required criteria are Hyderabad Institute of Nursing, Hyderabad, Beachwood College of Nursing Hyderabad, Momal College of Nursing, Hyderabad, Dua Institute of Nursing, Hyderabad, Blessing College of Nursing, Karachi, Abdali College of Nursing, Karachi, Mirpur Khas Institute of Nursing, Mirpur Khas, Meher Institute of Nursing, Mirpur Khas, National Institute of Nursing, Mirpur Khas, Sachal Sarmat College of Nursing, Khairpur and Sindu Institute of Nursing, Khairpur

Furthermore, according to a well-informed official at the PMNC, four other nursing institutes are under consideration for future bans due to poor academic and infrastructural arrangements. These institutes are: Karachi Institute of Nursing, Karachi, Asian College of Nursing, Hyderabad, Dr. Ruth College of Nursing, Karachi and SMCA College of Nursing, Lahore

Earlier, Council President Jawad Amin Khan had assured a Senate standing committee that the council was taking action against all illegal practices. He stated, “I assure you, some significant progress will come into view after a short period of time as I have assumed charge as President of PMNC recently,” assuring the parliamentary body.

He had also informed the committee that the newly elected council had conducted 148 inspections within 45 days to assess the standards of colleges offering nursing education to their students.