A faculty board meeting of the Institute of Medicine (IoM) under the Tribhuvan University on Tuesday decided to phase out the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) Nursing Programme in two of its affiliated colleges. The IoM has to get approval from the TU Executive Council to implement the decision.

The IoM decided to close the programme at the IoM Maharajgunj Campus and the Pokhara Nursing College. However, the programme will be continued in its affiliate colleges in Birgunj, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj.

Dr Sarad Onta, assistant dean who looks after the IoM’s academic section, said nursing colleges affiliated to the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training are producing enough staff nurses and, in this context, TU’s production is negligible. “The university has already decided to close all PCL programmes gradually. Since the Maharagunj Campus has nursing programmes from the bachelors’ to PhD level, the load of PCL students can be transferred to other affiliated colleges,” he said.

The decision to phase out the programme was also floated last year but the executive council did not approve it, seeking enough grounds for the closure.

The IoM, which started the course in 1972, has an intake of 61 students while the Pokhara Nursing College has an intake of 45 students in the PCL programme. Similarly, the Birgunj Nursing College, the Biratnagar Nursing College and the Nepalgunj Nursing College admit 45 students each annually. In each college, 35 students are admitted under the scholarship scheme while the remaining are fee-paying students.

The PCL nursing programme is a three-year course pursued by students after completing their school-level education.

source: the kathmandu post,25 april 2013