National Florence Nightingale Awards 2019
President Ram Nath Kovind presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to 36 nursing personnel at an awards ceremony in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on December 5, 2019. While conferring the awards, the President reiterated the significant role played by the nurses in delivering quality healthcare, addressing multiple health challenges and caring for the health needs of families, individuals and communities as a whole. The President stated that nurses are a symbol of Seva, Shushrusha and Karuna. They are the face of healthcare services for patients and their families.
President Kovind further stated that with the changing lifestyles, the demand for professional caregivers, especially for the elderly, is on the rise. The President suggested the development of short training programs for care-givers by the nursing institutions in the nation. The care-givers are not professionally trained nurses and hence, they would benefit from basic training in geriatric care. The World Health Organisation also announced the year 2020 as the ‘Year of Nurses and Midwives’. The year 2020 also commemorates the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, after whom the nursing awards have been named.
Florence Nightingale Awards: Key Highlights
The National Florence Nightingale Awards 2019 were conferred upon 36 nursing professionals including midwives, nurses and lady health visitors from different states and union territories. Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey were present during the awards ceremony. One award was conferred posthumously to honour nurse Lini Sajeesh from Kozhikode, who had passed away while caring for a NIPAH patient in Kerala. The award was received by her husband Sajeesh. The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards to 36 awardees at a ceremony in Vigyan Bhawan. Two nurses from Maharashtra were among the 36 awardees.
Smt. Chaya Patil, DPHN, Chandrapur District
Smt. Chaya Patil who was conferred with the award is a nurse who hails from Chandrapur district. She works at the Chandrapur health workers office. She has been in the medical field since the last 29 years. She has worked in tribal areas for 17 years and has worked in urban areas since the last 10 years. She would go to vaccinate children in Naxal areas on foot or with the help of a cycle. She has played an instrumental role in encouraging women to deliver children in hospitals. She has also spread awareness on family planning programmes and has vaccinated people through the malaria vaccination programme. She has worked to implemented central government health programmes. In 2015-16, she has played a significant role in the state’s vaccination programme. In 1991-32, she played a role in the prevention of communicable disease programme.
Smt. Asha Gajre, LHV, Latur PHC, Chopra, Jalgaon
Asha Gajre, a nurse from Chopada talukas in Jalgaon was also given this award. She works at the Lasur Primary Health Centre (PHC). She has been in the medical field since the last 33 years. She has provides services in urban areas for 28 years. She has also worked in tribal areas since for 5 years. She has played a significant role in the implementation of leprosy control programmes, TB, vaccination. She has worked with patients with mental disorders. Through the Lasur Primary Health Centre, she helped administer the MMR vaccine and brought the incidence rate to 0 per cent in that area. She also helped bring the child mortality rate under control.
