(MENAFN- IANS)
New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) 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 the nursing personnel, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Wednesday.
"It was the unrelenting support provided by the nurses, which has helped us in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. 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," Kovind said on the occasion of presentation of the National Florence Nightingale Awards to the nursing personnel at a virtual ceremony.
Noting that one of the awardees lost her life while treating Covid-19 patients, he said, "The nation would always be indebted to her for this sacrifice."
He stated that the services and sacrifice of the 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 the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19' to provide a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakh to all healthcare providers.
Pointing to the theme for the International Nurses Day 2021, 'Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A vision for future healthcare', the President said that it brings out the central role of nurses in healthcare delivery systems worldwide.
The government has launched the 'Midwifery Service Initiative' to create a new cadre of midwives. They would be called Nurse Practitioner Midwife (NPM), who would be equipped with the requisite knowledge and competencies. With the help of this initiative, health services would be able to reach the women of the last rung of the society, the President 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.
--IANS
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