Imphal, November 30 2009: Even before receiving the requisite no objection certificate (NoC) from the State Nursing Council, aspiring nursing students have been allowed to submit application for admission in the Nursing College of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), which is preparing to start functioning from the next academic session.

According to a reliable source from RIMS, as many as 21 aspiring nursing students have submitted their forms for admission to the proposed Nursing College although it does not any faculty so far.

The Health Directorate of the State Government has resented the conduct of the RIMS authority in this regard, the source added.

When The Sangai Express contacted, some members of the State Nursing Council disclosed that the Nursing College which is proposed to be set up in RIMS still does not have any of the required faculty and infrastructure.

In connection with issuing the requisite NOC, a team of Council members had gone for inspection visit.

However, as none of the infrastructures required in accordance to the guidelines were found, the team returned after informing the RIMS authority to communicate as and when these conditions are fulfilled.

So far there has been no communication from the side of RIMS.

In the meantime, RIMS authority has been reportedly sending notices to the other Northeastern States for nominating their respective nursing students for admission to the Nursing College which would have 50 seats.

In case of Manipur too, after RIMS authority despatched a similar notice to the Government of Manipur, 16 students have so far submitted their application forms for admission.

The source from RIMS further informed that on June 29 and 30 this year, an official team of Indian Nursing Council (INC) had come for inspection of the proposed Nursing School at RIMS.

After the inspection, the INC team had made it cleared that the Nursing College may start functioning provided it has the approval of a University/Board and the State Nursing Council.

On getting the approval of the University, State Nursing Council had been approached for its approval as well.

Accordingly, an team of Council members carried out the inspection but left with the instruction that the required infrastructures are missing.

The source also disclosed that there are discrepancies in the appointment process of the teaching and clinical instructors of the proposed Nursing College.

A meeting of the Steering Committee, Nursing College, RIMS was held in the office chamber of RIMS Director on May 18 last.

The said meeting agreed to appoint Deputy Nursing Superintendent of RIMS Th Chinglembi as the principal, Staff Nurse (PMR) M Vijayantimala as vice principal and Staff Nurse Sundari as associate professor of the proposed Nursing College.

For the appointment of teaching faculties, it was agreed in principle to give preference to MSc and B Sc Nursing staff who have been in the service for long if they are eligible after certain amendments in the Rules and Regulations (RR).

As per the agreement of the Steering Committee, ahead of the inspection visit of INC team, the appointment orders of Th Chinglembi (M Sc Nursing) as professor cum principal, M Vijayantimala (M Sc Nursing) as professor cum vice principal and Y Sundari (M Sc Nursing) as associate professor/reader have been issued on June 17 .

Furthermore, 10 more B Sc Nursing staff of RIMS have been appointed as tutors/clinical instructors of the proposed Nursing College.

Consequently, the newly appointed principal, vice principal, reader and tutors/clinical instructors have been introduced to the officials of the INC who came for the inspection.

However, there is still some discrepancies over the issue of amending the Rules and Regulations and giving preference to the eligible M Sc Nursing and B Sc Nursing staff of the institute at the time of appointment , as the RIMS authority has not yet acted on it despite agreement in principle.

From the side of the INC, it has been already communicated verbally that appointment should be referred after a DPC even if there is the need for amending the RR.

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