Tracking nursing: On the Nurses Registration and Tracking System
A fully updated live nurses portal will be of immense benefit to the nation
The Nurses Registration and Tracking System, established seven years ago, has only registered less than a third of the country's total nursing personnel. This shortfall raises concerns about the effectiveness of the system in harnessing the limited healthcare resources. The Indian Nursing Council attributes the delays to jurisdictional issues and federal tension, as primary registration falls under the responsibility of individual State Nursing Registration Councils.
Approximately 14.24 lakh out of the 46.02 lakh registered nursing professionals have been enrolled in the national registry, leaving 31.78 lakh outside the system. Regional disparities are evident, with some large southern states lagging behind, while others like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha show high enrolment rates. The main issue appears to stem from resistance from several State councils to fully migrate to the central portal and operate independent systems.
Incomplete digital tracking systems, outdated registries, delayed licensing, or regional autonomy can lead to poor nurse registration. This has far-reaching consequences for nurses, who face delays in inter-State transfers and credential verification, and for the nation, which may experience artificial surpluses or deficits in nursing personnel, leading to inefficient resource allocation.
The lack of a centralized registry also compromises patient safety during public health emergencies, as state agencies may struggle to locate and mobilize specialized nursing personnel. To address these issues, it is essential to ensure all nurses are registered in the portal.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
