Health Minister Mustafa Kamal's recent revelation that Pakistan is short of nearly 900,000 nurses should not surprise anyone who has ever stepped into a hospital ward. The current condition of the country's healthcare system encompasses a myriad of problems, one of them being a significant lack of resources. The scale of the crisis has prompted the Minister of National Health Services to strengthen the nursing sector by digitising the Pakistan Nursing Council and reducing corruption in the licensing process. While these commitments are praiseworthy, the figures reveal how deeply our healthcare system is strained.

Nurses form the backbone of healthcare. They are expected to provide round-the-clock attention, manage emergencies, comfort families and often keep services running when doctors

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