INC Rules Mandate Registration, Yet Many Private Hospitals Blatantly Flout Them
Under the regulations framed by the Indian Nursing Council (INC), the rules governing registration are unequivocal. Established under the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, the INC sets uniform standards of nursing education across India and mandates that only those with recognised qualifications and valid entry in a State Nursing Council register can practise as “Registered Nurse” or “Registered Midwife.”
The INC does not directly license individuals, but it requires that every qualified nurse must be registered with the respective State Nursing Council to lawfully practise. Yet despite this clarity, mounting evidence suggests that several private hospitals are employing unregistered nurses or nurses with lapsed registration — a direct violation of statutory norms.
Also Read: Delhi High Court Flags Regulatory Failures at Saroj Hospital | Impact
The Probe had recently reported the case of Uttam Chand Meena, which brought the issue of unregistered nurses in private hospitals into sharp focus. Uttam Chand Meena's wife Gargi Meena died in Saroj Hospital in Delhi in March 2018. Meena has alleged that medical negligence killed his wife. During proceedings linked to the case, it was found that over 100 nurses in the hospital at the time of his wife's admission were not even registered with the Delhi Nursing Council. The matter reached the Delhi High Court, where the court stated that compliance with statutory requirements governing medical and nursing staff is not optional. The court stressed that regulatory safeguards exist to protect patients and cannot be reduced to paperwork formalities.
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