Unrelenting support provided by nurses helped in fighting COVID-19 pandemic: President Kovind

  • | Wednesday | 15th September, 2021

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said unrelenting support provided by nurses helped in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and that their sacrifices cannot be evaluated in terms of any pecuniary benefit.Addressing an event, the president said many of the nurses lost their lives in the fight against the pandemic, including one of them who lost her life while treating COVID-19 patients, and that “the nation would always be indebted to her” for this sacrifice.The milestone of vaccinating one crore-plus people in a single day in India was possible only because of the dedication and untiring efforts of nursing personnel, he said.Kovind was speaking on the occasion of presentation of the National Florence Nightingale Awards to the nursing personnel at a virtual ceremony here.He said it was the unrelenting support provided by the nurses, which has helped us in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.“It is only because of their sustained efforts that we have achieved the distinction of vaccinating a sizeable portion of our population. The milestone of vaccinating one crore-plus people in a single day in India was possible only because of their dedication and untiring efforts,” he said.The president noted that the services and sacrifices of nurses cannot be evaluated in terms of any pecuniary benefit.Still, the government has acknowledged the contribution of nurses during the pandemic and has launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP): Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19’ to provide a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh to all health care providers, the statement said.Pointing to the theme for the International Nurses Day 2021 ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare’, the president said it brings out the central role of nurses in health care delivery systems worldwide.“Nursing indeed plays a crucial role in addressing multiple health challenges and responding to the health needs of individuals, communities and society. Nurses and midwives are often the first point of contact between the people and the health system,” he mentioned.Nurses and midwives not only contribute to meeting the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets, but also towards education, gender sensitisation and economic growth of the nation, Kovind said.They play a fundamental role in the health care delivery system, he said.The president also noted that nurses in the country are adapting themselves for innovative and challenging roles.He said those who engage in nursing now can develop specific skills and competencies.The government has launched the "Midwifery Service Initiative" to create a new cadre of midwives, the statement said.They would be called Nurse Practitioner Midwife (NPM) who would be equipped with the requisite knowledge and competencies, it said.With the help of this initiative, health services would be able to reach the women of the last rung of the society, the statement said.The president said today"s award winners have set exemplary examples of service to the people.“Sometimes even in the absence of basic transport facilities, they have provided medical facilities to the people,” he said.Some have even gone beyond the call of duty and provided services for social welfare like educating people against child marriages, providing assistance during natural disasters and extending a helping hand to the tribal community, Kovind said.He congratulated all the awardees and expressed hope that they would continue to heal the suffering people and enhance the prestige of this noble profession.PTI AKV SRY


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