Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Presentation of National Awards to Nursing Personnel

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset let me convey my hearty congratulations to all those who have been conferred the National Awards for Nurses, most appropriately named as the Florence Nightingale Awards.

Nursing invariably brings to mind the image of the "Lady with the Lamp" - Florence Nightingale who worked selflessly day and night, caring for the sick and the injured. She was the pioneer of nursing, and also contributed to the reformation of patient care and hospital sanitation methods. When asked about her success Florence Nightingale said - "I never gave or took any excuse". This spirit of working determinedly and her life of dedication should be an inspiration for all in the medical profession. Today is the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale and it is being celebrated throughout the world as "International Nurses Day." I am, therefore, particularly pleased to give away the awards on this day.

Nursing is a noble profession involving the care for and support to those who are ill and ailing. Nursing personnel are an integral part of any health care system. No medical team is complete without nurses. In fact, a good medical facility is highly dependent on the quality of its nursing. Surgery and medication alone does not suffice until it is accompanied by good nursing care. Pre-operative and post-operative care are delicate stages of treatment in which the role of a nurse is of utmost importance. As every patient is important, it falls on the nurses to reflect the specific requirements of every individual patient to the doctors. Nurses also have to ensure that doctors' instructions are carried out thoroughly in respect of the patient. Thus, nurses, in a very special way, serve as an organic conduit between a doctor and a patient.

Nursing requires gentleness, compassion and sensitivity. These are innate qualities of a woman and for this reason women dominate the nursing profession. However, it is a field in which men also have and must continue to contribute. The first Health Minister of India, Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, was a woman who contributed tremendously to the construction of the health system and paid attention to nursing facilities. While there were only two nursing colleges in India in 1947, today there are about 930 institutions in the country imparting graduate and post-graduate courses in nursing as well as about 1,900 institutes for diploma courses in nursing. With various new technologies and advanced medical equipment coming up, training institutions would need to meet the demands of better training and providing proper techniques for giving nursing care promptly and more efficiently. There are speciality hospitals being established in our country where a growing number of patients from overseas are also coming for treatment. Apart from general nursing, with which every nursing personnel must be acquainted with, there should be an attempt to specialize in one branch or another. Training institutions should also conduct skill upgradation courses for working nurses.

In the implementation of various family and health programmes, the role and involvement of the nursing community is critical. The services of nurses should be available in all parts of the country, particularly in the remote and far flung areas, where the role of a nurse and a health worker can be far more diverse. A nurse there can provide counseling on healthcare matters to the local population, and can educate them about the importance of the good health of the mother for ensuring the survival of the child. This is in the larger interest of the country as we seek to reduce mother mortality and infant mortality rates. Also, the National Rural Health Mission, which aims at a healthy family, a healthy village and a healthy nation, needs the contribution of the entire medical fraternity.

I am happy to note that the excellent quality and commitment of Indian nurses is getting recognition. They are in high demand in India and all over the world but there exists an acute shortage. There are about 3.7 lakh active nurses in India while the requirement is for about 10.5 lakh nurses by 2012. Serious consideration needs to be given as to how to close this gap. More nursing colleges should be established. I understand that efforts in this direction are underway and this goal must be pursued relentlessly.

Nursing Councils have a significant role to play in maintaining standards in the profession. They must ensure that at the time of registration only those with requisite qualifications are registered. To have a correct assessment of the strength and qualifications of the nursing personnel, it is important that State Nursing Councils update their registers on a regular basis.

Nurses need recognition and encouragement. They deserve to be treated with deep respect in society. A nurse takes gentle care of patients to save their lives or cure their illness just as a loving mother or a sister or a member of the family. This is the reason that a nurse is always called a 'sister'. She does service to humanity and so also she is a sister. Issues relating to their working conditions and other welfare measures should receive sympathetic consideration. While taking care of the health of others, it is important that nurses should learn and use the methods and techniques to take care of their own health also.

I conclude by wishing you all good luck for your work of providing healthcare with a humane touch.

Thank You.

Jai Hind.