BHAWANIPATNA: Shortage of staff and inadequate infrastructure continue to hit the functioning of the Government-run General Nursing and Midwife (GNM) School at Uditnarayanpur near Bhagabari in Kalahandi district.Set up in 2014, the college provides three-year GNM training with intake capacity of 60 students. While the first batch of students completed their course in May this year, the college is struggling due to lack of faculties and basic infrastructure.
As per norms of the Indian Nursing Council, at least 18 teaching faculties, one principal, a vice-principal and three wardens are required. But the college is being managed by only five teaching staffers, including the principal, while no warden has been posted so far.Students alleged that for clinical duty, they used to visit Bhawanipatna Government Hospital, about 10 km away from the college, in three batches as the college lacks such facility. On the other hand, the school has no transportation facilities and students usually manage the situation by hiring a bus of a private school of Bhawanipatna for the purpose, they said.
Similarly, the girls’ hostel is in a precarious condition and due to dearth of rooms, around six to seven students are staying in one room. The toilets and tanks have been constructed in such a defective manner that every month, the septic tanks are over-flooded. The hostel is also lacking basic facility like recreation and study room. As there is no hostel for boys, male students are staying in rented houses outside the college.
Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Saroj Kumar Tiadi, who is the nodal officer to monitor the school, said the RWSS officials have been asked to supply water through tankers. Similarly, the Public Works Department (PWD) has been directed to construct additional rooms for the hostel and rectify the defects of toiltes. The GNM school authorities will soon make the laboratories and library functional. Regarding provision of bus to the school and posting of sanctioned posts, the State Directorate of Nursing has been apprised of the matter, he added.