NURSING IN HTRC PASIGHAT

Its past, Present & Future

by

Mrs A Choudhury

Sister Tutor, HTRC, Pasighat

Nursing is primarily assisting an individual (sick or well) and thus it is as old as humanity itself. Nursing as a vocation need to be dedicating both the art and progressive science for the betterment of human welfare. It is a service of Head [Science of Nursing], Hand [Skill of Nursing] and Heart [Spirit of Nursing].

With the development of modern nursing by the “Lady with the Lamp”, Miss Florence Nightingale, the nursing profession as a whole is considered as a vital and eminently respectable profession.

The Auxiliary Nurse cum Midwives (ANM) course which is shorter and simpler than the full course in nursing and midwifery was drawn up by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) to meet the urgent need for health personnel in the National Health Programmes of new independent India. In May 1955, information about the scheme and copies of the regulations and syllabus for ANM course were published by the INC and was distributed to all hospital with training facilities. T was stated that, “ Though the ANM will not be able to take the place of trained nurse or health visitor, she could under supervision do very useful worker in an institution or in domiciliary service”.

The Pasighat Civil Hospital was renamed as Health Training & Research Center with the objective of introducing Pharmacist & ANM training courses in 1956. However, the ANM training course was established in 1958.

The evolution of nursing training in HTRC, Pasighat from its past to present was a continuous process. Due to lack of materialistic evidence, it is quite difficult to project the past state of nursing training in this institution. Fortunately, two of our 1^st batch of ANM trainees, Mrs Oyi Tangu (Tasung) and Mrs Osar Gao (Pertin) are at Pasighat who were trained under this institution in its early years. They could give us some knowledge from the time of inception. 

Mrs Oyi Tangu (Tasung) was interviewed and she had expressed her experiences of nursing in past days in HTRC Pasighat. According to her version and confirmed by official records, the pioneer ANM trainees, who joined in 1958, were six in numbers. Five of them were from local tribes of Arunachal Pradesh (then NEFA) and one from the Naga Hills. They were: [1] Smti R Sakharie (from Naga Hills), [2] Smti Mena Bengiya, [3] Smti Yakhar Bengiya, [4] Smti Oyi Tangu (Tasung), [5] Smti Osar Gao (Pertin) and [6] Smti (Late) Omik Ering (Koyu).

At that time, nursing was looked down as servants’ work; so young girls were reluctant to come forward for the nursing training course. But the aforesaid six trainees, who were selected only with Class-IV and V standards of education, came forward as torchbearers for the training. Some of them passed middle school level while in training course. Considering the demand of trained health personnel, even there was no age bar for the married woman to undergo the ANM training course. Even that time also residential training was compulsory and they were given free accommodation with a stipend of Rs 50/- per month.

The course of training was for two years and their preliminary training in nursing was mainly dusting the wards and keeping them neat and clean. The theory classes were held during duty hours. At that time stress was given on subjects like fundamentals of nursing, anatomy & physiology, hygiene and nutrition. No separate subjects on psychology or sociology were taught to them. Midwifery classes were mainly to conduct deliveries and were taught in the 2^nd year.

The indoor was in a chang-ghar (a type of bamboo house) near the present Kali Mandir in higher region with the capacity of 30 beds to start with. Adjacent to the chang-ghar (indoor ward), there was a SP type-I building, which was so called a Minor OT, where cases like MTP, IUD, normal deliveries etc were done.

Dr C V Raman was the 1^st Assistant Director of Health Services (ADHS) at that time. He was very kind and helpful. He used to guide the trainees and take them for the field visits very often. The 1^st nurse in charge of training was Miss Nongliet, a nurse from the present state of Meghalaya. Although there were no modern equipments, sterilization was strictly followed mainly by boiling methods using kerosene stoves. At that time, though nursing procedures were not followed in a very scientific or artistic way, but the spirit of nursing was more prominent. They worked with full dedication for shouldering humanitarian services to the suffering and needy people. The trainees were not privileged to get any sort of vacation during their training period. Of course, sick leave on medical ground was considered. 

Then during 1962-63, the first designated Matron, Miss Evelyn Prem Dass joined in General Hospital, Pasighat, who took active part in the training programme. Mrs Cheryl Susan Tada, the first B.Sc. (Nursing) graduate joined as a Sister Tutor on 12-12-1980 at the training center. Perhaps from then the nursing syllabus and other teaching modalities took a drastic change towards a positive note. Two more tutors, Smti Samshiya Begum (4/10/1985-23/7/1987) and Smti Subhra Mukherjee (20/6/1987-12/8/1994) also joined HTRC, Pasighat thereafter. At present there are four tutors, namely, Smti Bamin Yaze (wef 9/10/1987), Smti Sakina Ahmed (wef 9/10/1987), Smti Aruna Choudhury (wef 27/3/1989) and Smti Deepa Neog (wef 7/6/1999). Till date, 32 batches of ANMs have passed out from this institution and the 33^rd batch is currently undergoing training in their final years of course. Presently the curriculum of training has been broadened with few more subjects.

Even at present, the residential accommodation is compulsory nad the trainees are getting a stipend of Rs 300/- per month. The minimum education qualification required for admission to this course is Class X passed from CBSE board or equivalent recognized public examination. Admission is done subject to satisfactory medical fitness and with unmarried status. The trainees attend theory in between their duty hours, which are mainly taken by the sister tutors, and occasionally by medical officers. They learn practical related to nursing procedures in the demonstration room as well as in the wards. The nursing staff in the wards supervises the trainees. There is a library fro where the trainees can borrow and consult reference books on numerous subjects related to nursing & medical profession. Presently, the ANM training course and its curriculum is under the Assam Nursing Council, Guwahati. Final examinations are conducted usually at the end of the first & second academic sessions. The Assam Nursing Council fixes the examination date and finally papers are sent to their nominated examiners for evaluation. Practical examinations are held in the training center by both internal and external examiners. Trainees are given annual vacation of 15 days excluding sick leave. Besides academic sessions they are provided with recreational facilities like indoor & outdoor games besides television viewing etc. capping ceremony is celebrated with great pomp and show. The trainees also get the privilege of attending education tour outside the State to visit various health sanatoriums, medical colleges and nursing institutions.

Presently General Hospital Pasighat is having a capacity of 120 beds. There are various faculties and specialty services attached to the training center which includes surgery, medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, ENT, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, pathology, microbiology, dentistry etc. it has a laboratory, MCH unit, ultrasonography unit, STD clinic, HIV sentinel surveillance center, a registered Blood Bank, an well sophistically equipped Operation Theatre, where all sorts of minor & majors operations are performed on regular basis. With the extension of different branches of medical sections, the trainees are benefited in different aspects of medical science. Dr B C Sarma, the present Deputy Director of Health Services (Training & Research), Dr K Dai, the Medical Superintendent, Dr R Rina, the in-charge Training are amongst the key authorities taking active initiative and trying their utmost for the further development of the training programmes.  

No body can foresee the future but can hope and dream of it and the dream often comes true if we take care of the present and correct and improvise the past errors.

It is proposed by the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh that besides ANM training course, there need to be introduced General Nursing & Midwifery (GNM) course very shortly. Thus with the introduction of GNM course, the nursing status in the State would further be uplifted. Though Rama Krishna Mission Hospital, Itanagar is already imparting training courses for GNM since 15/10/1985, but HTRC Pasighat will be first government training center for GNMs in Arunachal Pradesh. There will be further extension of of its infrastructure with the elaboration of nursing course. The trainees would be able to learn and broaden their knowledge especially in pediatric, psychiatric, medical surgical nursing etc. though the ANMs, as member of health teams, have been so far covering wider range of services in all over Arunachal Pradesh in order to provide health care to the sufferings and needy people. When GNMs are will be trained and posted in different areas, people are expected to to get even better nursing care and there will be better projection of nursing profession as a whole. It is also hoped that there will be separate nursing council in the State, which will not only help to form separate nursing cadre but also provide employment opportunities and promotional prospects.

I am confident enough to state emphatically that the days are not far behind when HTRC, Pasighat will obtain the nation-wide recognition like other nursing institutions.

The English author, Virginia Hinderson had rightly quoted her view about a nurse, i.e., “ A Nurse is temporarily the consciousness of an unconscious, the love of life for the suicidal, the leg of an amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, a means of locomotion for the new born, knowledge and confidence for the young mothers, a mouth-piece for those too weak to speak”.

I believe everyone including the common people will also regard the excellence of a Nurse and the Nursing Profession.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A write-up published in Arunachal Front long back. All Contents may not be relevant in present context.