PM applauds nurses for role in fight against coronavirus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday applauded nurses for their role in keeping people healthy, saying the country is grateful to them for their "great work" in the fight against novel coronavirus.

"International Day of the Nurse is a special day to express gratitude to the phenomenal nurses working round the clock to keep our planet healthy. Presently, they are doing great work towards defeating COVID-19," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

"We are extremely grateful to the nurses and their families," he said.

Inspired by Florence Nightingale, the hardworking nursing staff personify abundant compassion, Modi said.

"Today, we also reiterate our commitment to keep working for welfare of nurses and devote greater attention to opportunities in this field so that there is no shortage of caregivers," he said.

According to the World Health Organisation, the International Day of the Nurse is observed on the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing. This year marks her 200th birth anniversary.