KATHMANDU: Amid discussions surrounding the potential closure of nursing colleges in Nepal due to government policies, the nation grapples with a severe shortage of nurses in the workforce.

Even as the government established a quota for sending nurses to the UK for employment, it has been observed that this quota remains unmet.

Shockingly, more than 80 percent of nurses who undertook the licensure exam failed to obtain the required license.

It should be noted that the government entered into an agreement to send 100 nurses to Britain as part of a ‘pilot project.’

However, the application process for this initiative fell short, with fewer qualified candidates than the stipulated number.

Sources from the Foreign Employment Department reveal that out of the 100 requested nurses, only 71 names made it to the ‘short list.’

It is reported that despite 771 applicants, many nurses failed due to incomplete submission of required documents.

For those aspiring to work in Britain, the government issued a notice, setting a 90-day application window.

The Nepal Nursing Council, citing a pool of over 67,000 nurses in the country, had announced plans to send 10,000 of them to Britain for employment in various stages.

Meanwhile, a staggering 80 percent of nurses faced disappointment as they failed the most recent licensure exam conducted by the Nepal Nursing Council.

The Council reported the participation of 1,270 individuals in the PCL Nursing exam, with only 19.34 percent, or 246 people, successfully passing the examination. The dismal results underscore challenges in the training and education of nurses in the country.