Indian Government Honors 35 Nurses With National Florence Nightingale Award

The Indian government honored 35 nurses from across India with the National Florence Nightingale award on May 12, the International Nurses Day, for helping people in difficult situations.

Octogenarian Vanhnuaithangi, a nurse in Mizoram, has worked in difficult situations often in thick forests and in the face of threats from wild animals.

Once while attending to a woman in labor who had a double-headed fetus without a heart beat, she decided to undertake an emergency operation herself and thus saved the mother's life.

Similar is the story of Sarojini Naik, who worked tirelessly without a break or a day off in the Andaman and Nicobar islands after the 2004 tsunami.

Rehana Kousar, another nurse from Jammu and Kashmir, served people during the devastating floods in the state in 2014. But her main contribution has been voluntary work for cancer patients and advocating for the girl child.

A majority of these nurses braved difficult and inhospitable terrains to help people in need.

President Pranab Mukherjee, said, "Nurses play a crucial role in providing healthcare facilities in all parts of the country, including remote areas where they work under challenging conditions. The selfless dedication of their services is an inspiration for the whole country." He also commended all the nurses for their compassion, discipline and commitment to healthcare.

Health Minister J.P. Nadda appreciated their exemplary services and said that through their competence, they have showed they were role models for the young generation.

Source: Medindia