A chronic shortage of trained nurses is threatening patient safety, China's Ministry of Health has warned ahead of the International Nurse Day, which falls on May 12.

The number of nurses in China had risen from 1.3 million in 2004 to nearly 1.35 million by the end of 2005 and the nursing quality and technical levels had also improved as well, said a ministry statement.

However, many areas still suffered a severe shortage of nurses, especially in clinical departments, which posed a potential threat to patient safety, according to a survey of more than 400 hospitals quoted in the statement.

Comprehensive hospitals had an average of one nurse to every three beds, with the lowest ratio at one nurse to four beds, the survey showed.

Experts have also warned that most nurses are working in big cities, while rural and western regions are in desperate need of nurses.

China had one nurse per 1,000 people, a far lower ratio than the international average of four to five per thousand, said Huang Renjian, president of the Chinese Nursing Society.

The ministry has urged local health authorities to promote the International Nurse Day.

The theme this year is "Safe staffing saves lives", demonstrating how numbers and technical competence of nurses are crucial for patients and calling for shorter working days and better training.

The International Nurse Day was established by the International Council of Nurses to mark the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a military nurse from the United Kingdom, who pioneered modern nursing techniques.

(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2006)