NEW DELHI: The nursing associations of government hospitals have expressed resentment against the Centre’s decision to slash the number of Florence Nightingale awardees from 51 to 15 this year onwards.
Calling the move “demoralising to the profession,” the nurses on Monday wrote a letter to the Union Home Ministry and demanded the curtailment of the award to be revoked. Additionally, the associations also urged the central government to increase the number of awardees to 100, considering their major contribution to healthcare delivery.
“We came to know that the Government of India has decided to decrease the number of Florence nightingale awards from 51 to 15 which is completely demotivating and demoralizing to the nursing profession...”
“Nurses are 66% of the total health force working in India and spend maximum time with patients as compared to the doctors and any other category of health personnel,” the associations said under the banner of All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF).
The nursing associations that specified their services during the COVID-19 pandemic won accolades from the country’s PM and international agencies. “Today the whole world is praising the efforts and selfless service of the nurses during this pandemic, the World Health Organization has declared the year 2020 as the year of nurses. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also praised the efforts of nurses in previous years’ Nurses Day.”
“...the nurses have provided their dedicated services to the suffering humanity, hence we don’t deserve such apathetic attitude from a responsible government,” the association said.