The health care sector in India faces a 40 to 50 per cent shortage of nursing personnel, according to NIMHANS Registrar Dr V Ravi.
"The health care sector in the country faces a shortage of nursing personnel to the extent of 40 to 50 per cent," he said at an international conference on "Nusing education and Training in a global context" here yesterday.
Speakers stressed the need to encourage telenursing services and auxillary services, besides opening more nursing schools to boost availability of number of nurses.
Dr Marilyn Stonar, Associate Professor and International Co-ordinator of Nursing, California State University, San Bernardino, said there was a global demand for nurses because the world population is ageing.
"With the advancement of science and enhanced longevity of human life notwithstanding the fact that people are fighting chronic diseases like AIDS and Cancer, the demand for experienced nurses is always going up," said Stonar.
Prof Pia Hagquist, nursing faculty member at the Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences, Finland also spoke on the occasion.
The conference was held here under the aegis of Dayananda Sagar Institutions in collaboration with California State University, San Bernardino and Sagar Hospitals, according to release issued here.