According to an official release from the Ministry of Health, a news report claiming that the head of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, made a “insensitive remark” against nurses is false. According to the report, a controversial remark made a few days ago on the representation of demands by the nurse’s group, demonstrating a lack of empathy towards the nursing profession, is being blown out of proportion.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) serves as a technical repository for all health issues, including nursing issues, and provides specialised domain-specific technical inputs to the Ministry.
“In health, including nursing matters, policy decisions and their programmatic implementation is the responsibility of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This division of work leads to a harmonious relationship between Dte.GHS and the Ministry,” it read.
Dte.GHS currently has three technical positions related to the nursing domain. Nursing Advisor, ADG (Nursing), Dy. Asst. DG (Nursing), and Deputy Nursing Advisor are their titles.
According to an official statement, some Nursing Associations have requested that these technical positions be transferred from Dte.GHS to the Ministry. Because the current system of technical advice provided by Dte.GHS and programmatic implementation provided by the Ministry is working satisfactorily, the Ministry is opposed to the transfer of these technical posts from Dte.GHS to the Ministry.
“Dte.GHS is extremely sensitive to the profession of nursing and wishes to see it achieving its rightful place within the medical profession. A section of nurses, it appears, are not satisfied with four technical nursing posts being operated by Dte.GHS and want these posts to be transferred to the Ministry,” it read.
According to the report, the email referred to in the news is DGHS’s response to these Nursing Associations. The Directorate clearly acknowledged the representation received in this regard. Furthermore, the DGHS is adamant that his Directorate is an integral part of the Ministry and collaborates with the Nursing Programme Division of the Ministry to solve all nursing problems.
