Nurses helping people in difficult situations honoured

Octogenarian Vanhnuaithangi, Sarojini Naik and Rehana Kousar are rare examples of dedication in difficult terrain. They were among the 35 nurses from across India who were honoured by the government and given the Florence Nightingale award for nurses here on Tuesday.

Vanhnuaithangi, a nurse in Mizoram, has worked in difficult situations often in thick forests and in the face of threats from wild animals.

Once while attending to a woman in labour who had a double-headed foetus without a heart beat, she decided to undertake an emergency operation herself and thus saved the mother's life.

Similar is the story of Sarojini Naik, who worked tirelessly without a break or a day off in the Andaman and Nicobar islands after the 2004 tsunami.

Rehana Kousar, another nurse from Jammu and Kashmir, served people during the devastating floods in the state in 2014. But her main contribution has been voluntary work for cancer patients and advocating for the girl child.

A majority of these nurses braved difficult and inhospitable terrains to help people in need.

While President Pranab Mukherjee commended all the nurses for their compassion, discipline and commitment to healthcare, Health Minister J.P. Nadda appreciated their exemplary services.

Nadda said that through their competence, they have showed they were role models for the young generation.