Why hundreds of nursing graduates leave India each year

There has been an increase in nursing institutes over the past two decades but policy gaps, lax regulations, poor pay and opportunities are pushing a large number of nursing staff to seek opportunities abroad

- Shradha Chettri

Sherin, 35 and a mother of two, has been working as a staff nurse at a private hospital in Kolkata for 15 years. Originally from Kerala, Sherin completed her General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) education from Nightingale Institute of Nursing in Bengaluru, Karnataka. For six months now, she's been preparing for the Occupational English Test (OET), an exam which assesses the language proficiency of healthcare professionals to help them migrate to foreign countries.

"Nowadays, we nurses are treated as servants, there is no respect and no proper work hours," lamented Sherin, explaining her decision. She isn't alone in seeking a better life abroad. Thousands of nursing graduates have similar ambitions and despite producing a large number of qualified nurses each year, there's still a shortage in the country.

Union health ministry data from 2019 shows that India has 1.7 nurses per 1,000 population; the World Health Organization (WHO) norm is three per 1,000. Around 2 million nurses are required to fill this shortage. WHO estimates that globally, approximately 9 million more nurses will be required by 2030.

Data from the regulator, Indian Nursing Council (INC), shows sharp growth in the number of nursing education institutions in the last five years. Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha in August 2023 that from 2014 to March 2023, the number of nursing institutes had grown by 36% and undergraduate seats by almost 40%.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for Indian nurses has grown. Educators say if the government does not step in now to regulate and ensure quality, it will be too late. The sector needs investment, a regulatory framework to ensure pay parity, and positions for those with specialisation.