Minister of Education, Naeem Akhtar, Friday said the Regional Institute of Health and Family Welfare (RIHFW) in Kunzer, Tangmarg, is an "ideal place" for establishing a nursing college.Mr Akhtar, who was on a tour of Tangmarg constituency made the announcement during an interaction with the staff of RIHFW, which was established in 2013 on 27 kanals of land."I will take up the matter (of converting the institute into a nursing college) with the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the Health Minister, Choudhary Lal Singh. The institute has fine infrastructure in a readymade state, which must be put to optimal use," the Minister said.
The Minister said the healthcare across the world is facing severe shortage of manpower, particularly paramedical staff, and the institute will go a long way in addressing the problem of unemployment in the state. SM Kadri, Principal of RIHFW, briefed the Minister about the works carried out by the institute where over 1200 healthcare workers, doctors and others have got training in basic life support and stabilization techniques over the last two years.
Mr Kadri suggested that basic life support and stabilization techniques, which are crucial in emergency situations for saving human lives, should be introduced in school curriculum. The Minister said he will ask the Board of School Education authorities to consider the matter.
Mr Kadri also told the Minister that institute should have cadres and there is a need of permanent faculty. Mr Akhtar assured the staff that the issues facing the institute will be resolved soon. He also told the staff to give training to students at Kunzer Model School, SP School and other educational institutes falling in its vicinity.The function was also attended by Director Tourism, Farooq Shah, MLA Tangmarg, Mohammad Abbas Wani,, CEO and Gandola Cable Car, Nazir Ahmad Mir.