Yesterday we went and met the Principal, ITI Shimla and yes, the experience at ITI Mandi, Sunder Nagar and Shahpur was repeated – the Principal was very welcoming, spent enough time with us and was very open to accept suggestions. While talking about placements and new courses that could be introduced at ITIs we mentioned the fact that nursing is a great career option because hospitals in India and many developed countries needed nurses and there weren’t enough of them. The Principal immediately asked us to visit the Govt Nursing college in Shimla and gave us the contact of one of the faculty members there. 

Today we went and met the Principal and faculty contact of the Sister Nivedita Nursing College in Shimla. This is the only Nursing College in all of Himachal. They offer a four year degree course and are affiliated to the Himachal university. Their intake every year is about 90 students. Students who have done a one year diploma can do the two years course in this college and get a full nursing degree. There are 5 Nursing schools in other districts of Himachal. The program is fully residential and guess the hostel fees …. ₹10,000 per year !! The Principal spoke about how they monitor attendance and students with low attendance aren’t allowed to write the exams. Again, it was a reinforcement of our positive experience with government run institutions in Himachal. This state is truly different, genuine helpful people and very conscientious. 

ShikshaDaan would like to focus on Nursing as a career option, not just for girls but also boys, because not just is it a noble profession, it’s a much required skill. Infact there was a proposal by the government to introduce a 2-year abridged MBBS especially for far flung areas. Students who go through that program, can provide medical care for 80% of the most occurring ailments. For complicated stuff, the city or big town hospitals can take over. We don’t know what happened to that program, but it’s much needed.   

There is also a huge hospital cum college in Shimla called the Indira Gandhi Medical college and hospital, right next to the Nursing college. ShikshaDaan will certainly partner with the Sister Nivedita Nursing college and we plan to reach out to the Nursing schools as well.   

Here’s a pic of the Nursing College building …. Are you wondering the same thing I am ? How do people fall sick in a place as beautiful as Shimla ? :):):)