In the wake of mid-day’s investigation exposing irregularities in Continuous Nursing Education (CNE) programmes under the Maharashtra Nursing Council (MNC), council president Dr Ramling B Mali has ordered an immediate inquiry and promised a detailed report within five days.
Certificates without training
The CNE and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses are mandatory for nurses across Maharashtra for licence renewal and aim to upgrade their professional skills. However, mid-day found that several institutions were allegedly issuing participation certificates without conducting sessions or maintaining attendance records, with some nurses even receiving certificates without attending any training at all, raising serious questions about the credibility of the process.
Reacting to mid-day’s findings, Dr Mali said, “We take these allegations very seriously. The integrity of the nursing profession and the credibility of the council must be protected. I have directed the registrar to initiate an immediate inquiry and submit a detailed report within five days. Based on the findings, appropriate action will be taken.”
‘Need city-wise registrars’
Sources said the discrepancies came to light after Bhabha Hospital lodged a complaint that went unanswered by the council. Dr Mali admitted that the irregularities also reflect a larger structural problem within the MNC, which has only one registrar overseeing thousands of registered nurses across Maharashtra.
“It’s high time the state government appointed city-wise registrars so such things don’t go unnoticed,” Dr Mali said. “It’s difficult to monitor everything when the entire state depends on one officer. Decentralising responsibility will improve efficiency and accountability.”
Health activist Jamila Shaikh said the lapses point to a deeper issue. “Proper and continuous training is essential to maintain the competence of nurses who form the backbone of the healthcare system. If nurses are getting certificates without attending sessions, it’s a failure of the entire system,” she said.
