Nurses, midwives backbone of healthcare system: Experts

Nurses and midwives form the backbone and one of the most important pillars of India’s healthcare system, senior government officials and experts said on Wednesday.

According to Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, along with Ayushman Aarogya Mandir and ASHA workers, they are instrumental in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

She further underscored that the best practices emerging from each state during this workshop should serve as guiding inputs for national policy formulation, and other states should take note of these models for wider replication and improvement of the nursing sector across the country. Srivastava was speaking at a three-day National Consultation and Experience Sharing Workshop on Nursing Policy Priorities and Best Practices in India to strengthen policy dialogue and advance reforms in the nursing and midwifery sector.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders including policymakers, senior government officials, regulators, nursing educators, professional associations, and development partners from across the country. The consultation aimed to review ongoing initiatives, identify emerging challenges, and share innovative models to strengthen nursing governance, education, and workforce management in alignment with India’s health sector priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).