Mustafa Kamal says Pakistan requires about 900,000 nurses, while only about 6,000 are currently available
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), after its reconstitution, has approved the registration of 55 nursing colleges, while four previously unregistered institutions have been granted registration after four years after payment of fines worth millions of rupees.
During a press conference at the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council headquarters, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal claimed that corruption had been rife in the former Nursing Council and claimed that regulatory functions had effectively remained paralyzed for years.
He said the newly constituted council had started dealing with a large backlog of pending cases and introducing reforms to restore transparency and accountability.
He noted that Pakistan required about 900,000 nurses while only about 6,000 were currently available. In comparison, a neighboring country employed approximately 600,000 nurses, while the global shortage of nurses stood at 2.5 million.
The minister claimed that the former chairman of the council was in possession of a fake degree and that the previous council elections were also fraudulent.
He alleged that the former president and vice-registrar had turned the institution into a mafia-like network where demands of crores of rupees were allegedly made from colleges seeking accreditation.
Kamal further claimed that despite court orders, the new administration was initially prevented from taking up the charge. “If I wanted corruption, why wouldn’t I have befriended the old administration? They were a money machine,” he added.
“Bring proof. Show me a receipt even for a cup of tea and if I don’t take disciplinary action then I’m guilty.”
The minister said the government had issued an executive order to dismantle the alleged corrupt network and reform the council’s governance structure.
Under the new framework, the president of the council will be a grade-22 officer responsible for administrative decisions. A new council of 19 members has already been constituted.
He maintained that even if the ordinance were to lapse, decisions made during its validity would remain protected under the law, citing legal coverage available through the superior courts.
Kamal revealed that no nursing school had been registered after March 2025 and that applications from 425 colleges were still awaiting inspection.
He claimed that the inspection cell had effectively been lying dormant for two years.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill, 2026.
