New Delhi, Dec 5 (UNI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday lauded the contribution of nurses,
saying they played a vital role in delivering quality and cost effective healthcare by responding to
health needs of individuals, families and communities.
Presenting the National Florence Nightingale Awards to nursing personnel in New Delhi on Thursday
on International Nurses Day, Mr Kovind said nurses played a vital role in delivering quality and cost
effective healthcare, addressing multiple health challenges and responding to health needs of
individuals, families and communities.
"The world is more and more in need of care and compassion, and nurses indeed are a symbol of
seva, shushrusha, karuna. For patients and their families, nurses are the face of healthcare services,"
the President said, adding he was happy to note that the World Health Organisation had announced
2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Mid-wife.
He noted that there was an increasing number of elderly people who deserved and required proper
geriatric care. In India, families took care of elders in their old age. However, with changing lifestyles
the demand for professional care-givers to take care of the elderly was on the rise.
The President suggested that these care-givers, who need not be trained nurses, would certainly
benefit from basic training in geriatric care. Nursing training institutions could consider developing
short training programmes for such care-givers too, an official release here said.
UNI SD ADG 1525