On 5th December 2019, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India bestowed 36 awardees with the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2019 at an event in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Nurses were awarded for their enthusiasm and compassion towards their work in community health centres and hospitals and also their involvement in national health programmes like eradication of polio, malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Key Points:
i.The award was given to Late Lini Sajeesh from Kozhikode, Kerala, who died while on duty caring for a Nipah (NiV) virus infected patient in Kerala. The award was received by her spouse Sajeesh.
ii.Other 35 awardees were Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), and nurses from different states and Union Territories (UT).
iii. Other important honourees present in the event were, Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare.
iv.The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the year 2020 as the Year of Nurse and Midwife. The year 2020 also marks the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, after whom the awards have been named. Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing and has done exemplary work in the nursing field. The Florence Nightingale award was established in the year 1973 by the Government of India to commemorate the exemplary work done by nurses.
v.May 12 is observed as the International Day of Nurses.
About New Delhi:
Governor- Anil Baijal
Chief Minister (CM)- Arvind Kejriwal
