The President of India,Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to nursing personnel today (May 12, 2015) on the occasion of International Nurses Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the conferment of the National Florence Nightingale Awards is a fitting tribute to the iconic ‘Lady with the Lamp’. He stated that he did believe that India’s nursing fraternity – both in the Government as well as the private sector, have earned tremendous admiration and respect wherever they have served -and continue to serve – because of their uncommon devotion and dedication to their calling. As a key constituent of the workforce of the country, they are an invaluable asset.
While serving in challenging conditions abroad, they have brought credit to our nation and contributed significantly through their remittances. Through their disciplined attitude and high level of proficiency, they have earned tremendous goodwill in all parts of the world. The President expressed happiness over the several initiatives taken by the Government of India for the development of pre-service and in-service training and education for the development, upgradation and strengthening of nursing services in India. He stated that there is a need to continue to maintain this momentum to ensure that the requirement of nursing personnel in our country is adequately catered for. He was confident that the new measures that have been taken will go a long way in achieving the desired results.